Child of Darkness, Children of Balance
by Black Raider
Summary: He knew he came from a strange background, but after becoming a DigiDestined's partner he knew his life would never be the same. Especially after being brought back from the dead by one of his most hated enemies. She knew she had a temper, but did that really mean she was a queen of darkness? How could she be expected to do good when she represented something evil?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

He only thought one thing while he did it: protect Kari and Gatomon.

No…..protect his friends, practically his family. The human and Digimon he held closest to his heart.

The _only _ones he held closest to his heart.

But he wasn't prepared for the pain that came. Myotismon's Grisly Wing seemed to pack more of a punch this time, meaning if he hadn't taken the hit then Kari and Gatomon would've been killed on impact. The shock from the pain left him speechless, his breath caught in his throat and his hat flying off his head. He hardly felt his back and head hit the concrete as he fell backwards.

Everything was very silent for a tense moment, broken by Myotismon's snide remark.

"Next time don't get in my way."

"Wizardmon!" Kari and Gatomon suddenly appeared, kneeling beside him. Gatomon already had tears pouring from her eyes and Kari was beyond worried. "You're gonna be all right. Please don't leave. Wizardmon!"

Finally, the wounded Digimon found the strength to speak and his gaze fell on Gatomon. Every piece of data in him felt numb; his strength was ebbing away fast, but he needed to speak to Gatomon, to his first and truest friend, one last time. He took in a shaky breath. "Are you…..all right, Gatomon?"

The cat Digimon continued to cry. "You saved me…I'm sorry."

"About what?" Wizardmon rasped.

"Sorry I got you involved in this." Gatomon sniffed.

Wizardmon smiled softly under his mask. "Don't be sorry. I don't have any regrets." He could feel his voice getting weaker, but he fought to stay alive just a little longer. "If I hadn't met you, my life would've had no meaning. I'm glad that you and I were friends."

Gatomon's tears increased greatly. "That's forever…." She promised.

Wizardmon took in one more shaky breath. "Thank you…..for everything…..Gatomon…..." His final words slipped out in a whisper and his head lolled to one side.

"Wizardmon? Are you okay? Please answer." Kari pleaded. But the wizard Digimon remained still and silent. "No….Wizardmon…..." The tears came fast and strong.

"_NO!"_

* * *

Wizardmon bolted upright at Kari's scream, panting heavily. He looked down to see his clothes looking brand new instead of torn; even his hat rested on his head in one piece. He no longer felt weak or dying.

"Kari, Gatomon!" he said, smiling softly. "I don't believe it. I'm alive!"

But the girls didn't answer. Kari suddenly caught her Digivice that Tai threw to her. Wizardmon watched, amazed, as Gatomon suddenly digivolved to an angelic Digimon called Angewomon.

"Wow!" Wizardmon breathed. "That's amazing! Well done, Kari!" But the girl still didn't answer. "Kari?" Wizardmon reached out to touch her but his hand suddenly went right through her. Wizardmon retracted his gloved hand and stared at it, realizing it was partially transparent. In fact, his entire body was translucent. "I'm not alive." He realized. "I'm really dead."

"Myotismon!" Angewomon's voice seemed to echo with power. "You've tried to destroy the DigiDestined, attempted to conquer earth, and killed my friend Wizardmon. In doing so you have ruined the lives of humans and Digimon alike. How can you justify yourself?"

"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you!" Myotismon growled back. "It is my destiny to plunge this world into darkness and become king of the Digital World and no angel or Digimon has the power to stop me!"

Angewomon didn't answer, but she still looked plenty steamed. Wizardmon just watched, amazed, as the Digimon of the DigiDestined combined their powers into a Celestial Arrow that finally ended Myotismon once and for all. He cheered alongside the children, but also became concerned by the building shaking. Despite only a spirit, he ran after the children as they escaped the building, just in time as the spherical structure collapsed and crashed to the ground. He hung back at the door while the children gathered in the courtyard. Gatomon hung back as well, staring at the ground.

Kari turned to stare worriedly at her Digimon friend. "What is it, Gatomon?"

Gatomon looked up with new tears in her eyes. "Wizardmon sacrificed himself for us….and I couldn't stop it."

"No, Gatomon." Wizardmon insisted. "It's not your fault." He tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but once again found he went right through everything…like a ghost. Kari gently led Gatomon away and to the rest of the DigiDestined. Wizardmon stared after her, his heart breaking.

_I'm really dead. _He realized. _Myotismon got me. But then…..why am I still here? Why haven't I returned to the DigiWorld to be reborn?_

"Look up there!" T.K.'s voice caught his attention.

"The fog!" Kari cried. "It's getting thicker!" Wizardmon followed Kari's point to the sky to see her words rang true. "But, Myotismon is gone."

"Maybe not." Joe said. "Maybe he's still out there somewhere. What if we just made him stronger?"

"Stronger?" Wizardmon gasped. "You've got to be kidding me!" _I can't let them get hurt! But what can I do if I can't touch them and they can't see me? _He sighed. _Well, I can at least watch over them; that's all I can do for now._

* * *

Turns out, watching over them was all Wizardmon needed to do; the DigiDestined really proved their worth with their final battle against Myotismon's Digivolved form. Then the monstrous Digimon dissolved to nothing. Unfortunately, the DigiDestined Children's worries were far from over; sections of the sky, like stripes, disappeared to reveal the DigiWorld. A rainbow of light appeared and Wizardmon could only watch as Kari, Gatomon, and the other DigiDestined left for the Digital World.

"Good luck, Kari." Wizardmon prayed. "Good luck, Gatomon. Good luck to all of you, brave DigiDestined. I know you can defeat whatever evil is plaguing us." He sighed. "But now what do I do? I suppose I could search for a gateway to the Digital World, but for some reason I feel as though it will be impossible." He stared at the sky. "Am I cursed to be a ghost in this realm for all eternity? And if I am, why? Why can't I pass on peacefully or my data reconfigure to a new form? What's my purpose now?"

He never got an answer, so Wizardmon began wandering. He tried searching for some way back into the Digital World, but the gateway Myotismon used long since disappeared, and simply flying up into the sky didn't work. It was as though a wall prevented Wizardmon from going back to the Digital World, therefore greatly decreasing his chances of being reborn. Though discouraged and very sorrowful, the deceased Digimon tried to stay upbeat. For a while, he entertained himself greatly in zipping through solid walls of buildings. He even found joy in spooking a few people. But every time he looked up he found stripes still taken out of the sky. The DigiDestined were still in the Digiworld and probably in who knows how much trouble.

Suddenly, a strip of the Digital World seemed to dissolve out of the sky, leaving only stars. Wizardmon sighed. "It's happening so often tonight." He knew something was going on in the Digital World, but he didn't know whether good or bad. He only prayed that the children and their Digimon were doing okay.

"Kari. Gatomon." Wizardmon breathed. "I hope you're all right. But if I know you then I think you guys are doing great! I bet you're fighting some powerful dark Digimon up there." He sighed. "I wish I could be there with you; to help you fight."

He hated being stuck in the human world while everyone else he knew was over in the Digital World. He didn't even have a Bakemon or two to keep him company. Time worked so differently between the two realms. A few hours in this realm could very well mean a few years in the DigiWorld. Wizardmon stared up at one of the DigiWorld strips in the sky, wondering if the DigiDestined stood right above him. What he'd give to be by their side, fighting alongside them, looking out for them, telling them stories to keep their spirits up.

"Gatomon…." Wizardmon sighed. "I miss you, my friend."

Suddenly, the formally bright spots and strips of the Digital World went dark, and a menacing form appeared, looking like a demonic jigsaw puzzle with clawed arms. Wizardmon stared in horror.

"What in the good name of the Digital World is that?" he asked no one in particular. Then, he looked in another spot and found a familiar group of children. "The DigiDestined! Are they really going up against that thing?"

To his utter horror, the menacing form suddenly launched a great burst of electric energy, sending the DigiDestined spiraling away and out of view.

"NO!" Wizardmon shouted, shooting up into the sky. "Don't you touch them!" But when he hit the strip it was like running into a brick wall. He tumbled backwards, but moved forward and tried again. Each time, it was like a transparent wall blocked his path. "Leave them alone!" He hit the wall again and again, wanting nothing more than to break through it. Nothing he did left even the slightest dent. He found the DigiDestined again and pressed his hands against the barrier, staring in horror as they suddenly began breaking apart, like how most Digimon died. Before his eyes, they disappeared completely.

Shaking and finally feeling his strength ebbing away to nothing, Wizardmon allowed himself to float back down to the earth, resting on the roof of a building. _They're gone. They're really gone. I promised I'd protect Gatomon and the DigiDestined children and I failed. _"Gatomon…..Kari…."

_BOOM!_

Wizardmon's head shot up and he stared in shock and happiness. "They're alive!"

They were alive. And they were fighting the monster with their fully-digivolved Digimon. Attacks flew at rapid-fire. Great bursts of light sent shadows all around until the monster they fought seemed to compact itself into a black polyhedron. A bright light exploded from the shape, but the DigiDestined didn't seem afraid. They glared defiantly at the polyhedron, and suddenly a cube of golden light surrounded it. The shape exploded, but the cubical shield prevented any damage from coming. The spots and strips in the skies finally disappeared, giving way to a beautiful dawn to a new day. Every human around the world cheered, joyful it was all finally over.

But not everyone celebrated.

"Where are they?" Wizardmon scanned the skies. "Where are they?!" _What if something's happened to them? Did they make it out alive? Are they okay? Please, let them be all right!_

"_What's happening?"_

"_Who's driving this tin can?"_

"_Watch out! AAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

Wizardmon's eyes widened. "Kari!"

He took off flying through the city, following Kari's and the other children's voices through the early morning air. But he didn't have any idea where the voices came from. He just kept flying where the voices grew louder. He flew high into the air, where the voices seemed to be loudest. Wizardmon looked all around, but suddenly jumped when a large subway car went right through him, forcefully reminding him of his ghostliness. Still, he trailed after the flying car and smiled at the sight of the DigiDestined inside. Their Digimon, however, were nowhere in sight.

"Look, Kari." Tai said happily. "We're flying right over home."

"Take the wheel and steer us to San Francisco, Izzy." Joe ordered with a smile. "We did promise Gennai."

"Aye-aye!" Izzy nodded, running to the front of the car.

Kari stared out the window, the glass the only thing separating her from Wizardmon's spirit just outside. But he seemed to be completely invisible to her. Kari sighed softly. "You think we'll ever see Gatomon and the others again? Gennai _did _say the gate was closed forever."

"I think he's wrong." Matt said. "I'll bet the gate will open again someday soon and we'll see our Digimon again."

Wizardmon stared at the car for a moment before allowing it to keep going without him. He floated down to the ground, touching down on the broken remains of the bridge. He stared at the waters below him.

_The gate is closed? That's impossible. _Wizardmon blinked his tears away. _Gatomon…what happened? Where did you go?_

Sensing a presence, Wizardmon spun around and glared at a figure standing behind him, holding his hands ready to launch an attack. He relaxed only a little bit at the sight of the sickly-looking human. His skin looked gray and ashen, deep circles under his dark eyes. His slick black hair lay flat on his head and his bangs hung in his eyes a little. He wore a formal grey suit, looking like he just returned from a funeral.

"Who are you?" Wizardmon demanded, not lowering his fighting stance.

The man stared at him with dark, empty eyes. "A Digimon. But you're translucent, like a ghost."

"I'll ask again: who are you?" Wizardmon took a step forward, not sure if he could actually attack when a ghost but not really caring.

The man smiled, a crazed look coming to his eyes. "I am Oikawa Yukio." He suddenly looked to one side. "What's that? Wizardmon? Is that his name?"

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes. "Who are you talking to?"

Oikawa didn't answer. "Really? Are you sure? Will it hurt? Very well, my friend, you may come forward and use my form to your will."

Suddenly, Oikawa twitched and jerked, as though having a heart attack and a stroke at once. Wizardmon stared, not sure what he should or could do. The human's body gave a few violent spasms before stopping, his head hung. Wizardmon took another step forward, but Oikawa raised his hands and millions of particles of what looked like dust shot out, enveloping Wizardmon in the cloud. He shouted in pain, feeling as though his data bits were ripped apart. He fell to his hands and knees, shaking as the assault continued. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped, and Wizardmon found himself panting heavily. He stared at the ground for a moment before he realized his hands became full again, no longer translucent. In fact, his entire body looked and felt solid again.

"I'm back." He breathed. "I'm alive." He stared at Oikawa. "How? Why?"

"I simply took your data bits that had previously been scattered and reassembled them so you'd be whole again….so you will serve me." Oikawa's voice suddenly changed, sounding malicious.

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm afraid your request is not something I intend to follow nor grant. I will find a way to repay you, but now I must find an old friend." He turned to float away, racking his brain to remember where Kari and Tai's home rested.

Oikawa smirked evilly and raised a hand. _"Crimson Lightning."_ The red bolt shot out from his palm and grabbed Wizardmon, pulling him in so the human could grab the wizard Digimon's throat in his hand. Wizardmon's eyes went wide and he clawed at the hand around his neck. He strained and gasped for breath, but the man's grip remained firm. Then he noticed Oikawa's eyes change to a familiar shade of purple malice…..one he could recognize anywhere.

"Myotismon." Wizardmon growled/gasped, struggling to pry the human/Digimon's grip on his neck.

Oikawa/Myotismon chuckled darkly. "Does it hurt, little Wizardmon? Is it absolutely unbearable? Take the pain you're in now and multiply it by a thousand." His evil smile deepened to a sinister frown. "That is the pain I will inflict upon Gatomon, her trainer, and every other DigiDestined Child if you don't do as I say."

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes. "Y-y-you wouldn't d-dare."

Myotismon smirked. "Really? Surely you know me better than that."

Wizardmon growled a little, but Myotismon's grip tightened, and the smaller Digimon gasped in pain. _I can deal with this kind of pain. But those children don't deserve any more pain after what Myotismon did to them! I can't let Gatomon or Kari or any of the children feel this!_ "All right!" He gasped, straining for a full breath of life-giving air. "Okay! I'll d-do what y-you ask!"

Myotismon smirked. "I knew you'd see reason." He released Wizardmon, who hit the ground hard and inhaled deeply, coughing harshly and his throat burning. Myotismon paced around Wizardmon, as though a vulture circling some carrion. "Now, I have a plan. A plan that will bring me back to power where I belong. But I need to make sure those wretched DigiDestined don't get in my way. I have discovered that a new set of DigiDestined children will be chosen in a few years. But instead of eight…there will be nine."

Wizardmon rubbed his throat and glared at Myotismon. "What…..are you talking about?"

"I'm going to create my own DigiDestined. With these." Myotismon reached into his pocket and pulled out a Digivice, tag, and Crest. The Digivice and tag looked like the other DigiDestined children's, but the Crest was black as obsidian, with a symbol etched into it in the shape of a crescent moon with a star resting on the inside of the curve.

"What is that?" Wizardmon was more curious than angry now.

"A genuine Digivice, tag, and Crest." Myotismon said. "It's the Crest of Darkness. And you are going to find a child to become my DigiDestined with you as his Digimon fighter."

"And if I don't?" Wizardmon spat defiantly.

Myotismon chuckled darkly. "Then everyone you hold dear will die and you will get a front row seat to watch. Simple as that." He turned with a sinister smirk. "Do we have an understanding?"

Wizardmon didn't want to do it. He'd rather die than do what Myotismon wanted. But he couldn't put the lives of his friends in danger; and as long as Myotismon lived he could do damage to the people Wizardmon cared about. So he sighed and accepted the tag, Crest, and Digivice from Myotismon. "I understand."

"Very good." Myotismon nodded. "I will leave the finding and training of the child to you; but I will be checking up on your progress."

"And what sort of child am I supposed to look for?" Wizardmon demanded, rising to his feet.

"Any child." Myotismon instructed. "Young, but not too young. Perhaps similar in age to Gatomon's little Kari. Just find a child and promise them anything they wish in return for training you."

"Will you be able to deliver such a promise?"

"What?"

"Well how can I promise something if you or I cannot deliver?"

"Just do it!"

Wizardmon sighed. "Very well."

"Good." Myotismon nodded as he turned to walk away. "You have three days." With that, he disappeared. Wizardmon stared at the Crest and Digivice in his hand, wanting so badly to throw them away. But the fear of harm coming to his friends kept him from doing so. He clenched his fist around the objects in his hand, squeezing his eyes shut and growling to himself.

He soon straightened up and sighed, tucking the objects away in one of his pockets. He floated off the bridge and down to the harbor, stopping several yards from Myotismon's old island hideout. He held a hand out, concentrating, and within seconds his staff shot from the waters and into his hand. Wizardmon sighed, relieved to have his old weapon back in his hands. But there was little time for relief with his new task at hand, and he knew it couldn't hesitate.

"Well, time to find the DigiDestined Child of Darkness." He decided, flying off towards the city. "I only hope the new DigiDestined will be able to fight back."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! I am new to the Digimon Fanfiction section but a long-time Digimon fan, and I recently was able to find the episodes online and started watching them again. My all-time favorite episodes are the ones with Wizardmon in the first season, and I like many other fans cried when he was killed. Ever since I was a kid, Wizardmon was always my favorite character. So I wanted to work something out to get him alive again but also make sure the storyline made sense for the second season (which I like, but not as much as I love the first season). So, here it goes! I may have made slight adjustments based on the dialogue I see for the English and Japanese dubs. Also, there are some references to the other seasons, but if I don't explicitly say so then the reference is unintentional.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will be posting chapters as much as I can. For now, I'd like to know how interested you are in this story! Thanks!**


	2. Run Yolei Run

**A/N: For future reference: every chapter will have a title like the one you see below, and the chapters that show the characters in the TV episodes will be indicated. Hope you guys enjoy! BTW, chapter lengths vary; do not expect certain page length for each chapter.**

* * *

**Episode 18: Run Yolei Run**

Four years. It had been four years to the day.

Four years since she traveled to the realm of humans.

Four years since she found the person she waited for her entire life.

Four years since she finally broke away from Myotismon.

…

Four years since she watched Wizardmon die before her eyes.

Gatomon rested in Kari's arms, her chin on the human's shoulder. Kari long since left her roses at the station and held Gatomon close, gently rubbing her fur. Gatomon kept staring at the TV station as they walked away, Wizardmon's words swimming about in everyone's brains. But the one thing that stood out was the fact she actually saw Wizardmon for the first time in years. She thought for sure that she'd see him in the Digital World, reborn through a Digi-Egg. But she never found him. Then the Digimon Emperor attacked and everything fell apart. Of all her friends, she missed Wizardmon the most. He was the only one who could break through her cold heart and helped her find Kari. Then he went so far as to give his life to protect her. She missed him; she missed him more than anything in the world.

Gatomon sniffed, rubbing her face into the crook of Kari's shoulder. Kari sighed sadly and rubbed the cat Digimon's back soothingly. "Gatomon?" Everyone paused when Kari suddenly stopped walking, and they stared sadly at Gatomon's quivering form.

"Kari…" Gatomon sobbed. "I miss him."

Kari felt tears coming to her eyes too, but she blinked them away and held Gatomon close. "I know, Gatomon. I miss him too."

They resumed walking, continuing their journeys to their homes. Gatomon couldn't walk on her own, still very much distraught over losing Wizardmon once again. The original DigiDestined all felt similar sadness, the pain from losing Wizardmon returning after four years. But they knew Wizardmon just gave them the key to their victory in the battle for the Digital World, so they had to use this new information to make a plan of attack.

Still, it didn't numb the pain.

Gatomon's thoughts lingered on Wizardmon all through the night and into the next day, when the new and old DigiDestined gathered to evaluate the situation in the Digital World. Izzy and Cody finally returned after a couple hours and reported seeing the area they searched covered in Control Spires. In fact, there was a trail of Control Spires snaking through the Digital World, indicating the Digimon Emperor's clear intent to completely take over.

_I can only imagine how Wizardmon would look if he was controlled by the Emperor. _Gatomon thought. _He'd look pretty scary. _"If we could only destroy that base." True, the upside of Izzy's group search was they found a Digimon Emperor base.

"Wait a minute. That's it!" Kari realized. "If we destroy the Emperor's headquarters then the Control Spires will be useless."

"That makes a lot of sense." T.K. agreed.

"So why are we sitting around here like a bunch of yahoos?" Davis urged. "I say we go to the Digital World, find his base and rip it up. Right DemiVeemon?"

"Right!" DemiVeemon agreed.

"What do you want to do?" T.K. demanded. "Walk up there and say 'Excuse me, do you mind if we take a couple of minutes and tear down this building?'"

"Well, all right." Davis seemed to understand. They couldn't necessarily go with a direct approach this time. "I suppose we have to come up with some sort of plan."

Gatomon knew she should've been paying more attention, but things just ended up becoming blurred. From what she _could _gather from Kari, it seemed that the older DigiDestined were going to go camping while the younger DigiDestined pretended to go camping while actually going to the DigiWorld. They all agreed they wouldn't leave the Digital World until they finally defeated the Digimon Emperor.

That night, after Kari packed a bag for herself and Gatomon, the two of them settled down for a good night's sleep.

But Gatomon didn't sleep well. She kept tossing and turning, moaning in her sleep. "No…no…..please…..Wizardmon…"

* * *

"Grisly Wing!"_ Myotismon put all his power in his attack. Gatomon found herself frozen in the spot, unable to move and dodge the attack._

_Suddenly, Wizardmon leaped between the attack and the cat Digimon, taking the full impact of the blow. He fell backwards and hit the ground, lying there limply. Gatomon rushed forward, everything else disappearing to whiteness around her. She held Wizardmon's head in her paw, tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_Wizardmon." Gatomon whimpered. "Please….please don't die."_

_Wizardmon stared at Gatomon, his eyes sparkling as he smiled softly. "It's okay, Gatomon. I'm not hurting anymore."_

"_Don't leave me, Wizardmon." Gatomon pleaded. "Please."_

"_You'll be okay, little Gatomon." Wizardmon's voice became weaker with every word. "Thank you for being my friend."_

"_Wizardmon, please." Gatomon's tears increased greatly._

"_Thank….you…." Wizardmon's eyes closed and he became limp._

_Gatomon stared in shock. "Wizardmon….no….NO!"_

* * *

"Gatomon!" Kari shook the cat Digimon. "Gatomon! Wake up!"

Gatomon gasped as she woke up, panting heavily. When she saw Kari's concerned face, she leaped up and wrapped her arms around the human's neck, shaking terribly. Kari held her Digimon close, rubbing her fur.

"He was right there…" Gatomon said between sobs. "I had to watch him die. I couldn't do anything!"

Kari shushed Gatomon gently. "Gatomon. Wizardmon's death was not your fault; it wasn't anyone's fault except Myotismon's. You can't keep blaming yourself for this. Wizardmon wouldn't want you to."

Gatomon sniffed and wiped her eyes dry. "I know. But it still hurts, Kari."

"I know, Gatomon." Kari sighed, blinking her tears away. "I know it hurts. But it'll go away, I know it will."

Gatomon sighed. Kari kept Gatomon close as she returned to bed, the two of them returning to a restless sleep.

* * *

The Dark Tyrannomon, Kuwagamon, and Tuskmon continued their assault on each other, snarling and roaring and causing quite a commotion. The Digimon Emperor watched through his numerous monitors, chuckling darkly.

"I'm afraid there's one thing I just don't understand." The Digimon Emperor admitted to Wormmon beside him.

"What's that, Master?" Wormmon asked.

"Why don't the Digimon just surrender?" The Digimon Emperor chuckled darkly again. "It would make my job so much easier."

Wormmon moaned worriedly as his partner continued to laugh. Then, he noticed something. "Um, Master? I think you should see this."

The Digimon Emperor halted his laughter and stared at the screen. The Digimon stopped fighting, staring at a small figure in the middle of the fight. Even when picking up a remote and zooming in on the figure, not much could be made out. But the Digimon Emperor could see the sword at their hip and the Wizardmon hat on their head.

"A Wizardmon?" he murmured.

"He may have the hat, but I never knew a Wizardmon that wears white." Wormmon mused.

The Digimon Emperor stared at the strange creature for a moment. "Hmm…no matter. I'll just send the Dark Tyrannomon after them." He gave the order, and the black dinosaur Digimon ran forward to attack the creature. But the first one hardly touched the creature before it jumped up to dodge the attack. The creature landed on Dark Tyrannomon's head and smashed their fist into the dinosaur's skull, sending him into a daze and destroying the Dark Ring with their sword. The evil Digimon continued forward, but the creature took each one down with a swift fist, a hard kick, or a quick slice with their sword. The Digimon Emperor stared in shock. The creature continued to take down the Digimon, destroying the Dark Rings until every single one was finally free.

"Master, with all due respect, I think the best course of action is to leave." Wormmon whimpered.

The Digimon Emperor growled. "I am not afraid of some pathetic creature! What more can they do?" In response, the monitors' screens became full of lines, like cracks. The Emperor noticed rocks flying into each of the screens, cracking them and preventing him from seeing what was happening. "Set up the invisibility shield and take off! We have to get out of here!"

"Gladly!" Wormmon whimpered.

The creature paused in their attacks when the base suddenly disappeared. They humph-ed in irritation. "Well that didn't work out well."

The Digimon seemed very surprised that the creature turned out to be a female. But one of the Tuskmon came up and power to her. "We are indebted to you for freeing us from the Digimon Emperor."

The creature didn't show her face, but even her aura seemed to smile. "You owe me nothing. Just get out of here while you can." The Dark Tyrannomon, Tuskmon, and Kuwagamon didn't need to be told twice as they hurried away. The creature chuckled good-heartedly as she sheathed her chisa katana. "Well they seemed happy to be gone." She paused. "No. It wasn't any trouble. I told you, I know what I'm doing. I took years of martial arts classes and this sword is as sharp as they come. Very effective in both the human world and this one." The creature clearly didn't speak to anyone near her, seeing how the entire area was deserted. Still, she spoke as though an old friend stood beside her. "No sign of the DigiDestined since yesterday when they were with that Tentomon and Armadillomon. Are you sure you don't want me revealing myself to them?" Another pause, then she sighed. "Very well. Why don't we take a break for a while? I'm hungry and I left my lunch back at that tree." She walked off, her hat shielding the sun from her face and her raven hair swishing behind her.

* * *

Gatomon liked to climb Kari's bookshelf back home so she could look out across the room and feel like queen of the world. But climbing up a steep mountain just to find some stupid Digimon Emperor base? She'd rather be at home in bed. She was also very concerned about Yolei, who seemed as hyperactive as a toddler on a sugar rush. Gatomon feared the teen may fall off the mountain and even Hawkmon wouldn't be able to help. Things only got worse when Tentomon reported that the Digimon Emperor's base disappeared.

"His base was right here!" Cody insisted. Contrary to his words, the entire area looked completely deserted.

"Maybe it was a mobile home." T.K. joked lightly.

"Since he was leaving he could've done the polite thing and taken those Control Spires with him." Armadillomon added.

Gatomon sighed a little, looking up to check on Yolei. "Has anyone seen Yolei?"

"Look down there." Kari pointed and everyone followed her gaze to see Yolei and Hawkmon sliding down the side of the mountain, the former whooping and cheering while the latter very much concerned. Everyone gasped/groaned, but decided it would be best to follow and took the more careful route down after Yolei and Hawkmon. But there was nothing to indicate the base once rested there besides the massive crater in the ground.

"Are you sure you saw it?" Davis asked. "Maybe it was a garage."

"You mean a mirage?" Cody corrected.

"No." Davis defended. "I meant a place where the Digimon Emperor keeps his car."

"How can a whole building simply disappear into thin air?" T.K. wondered aloud.

"Maybe Ken's friends with a really good magician." Kari suggested, half-jokingly.

"What do we do?" Patamon asked.

"We keep on looking." T.K. determined. "We promised not to leave until the base was destroyed."

"Leave it to me." Davis assured. "I'll find his headquarters. All we have to do is follow the building tracks in the dirt."

"Up here!" Yolei called, and everyone turned to stare as she scurried like a squirrel to the top of a nearby spire.

Gatomon's ears flattened, sighing. "I think Yolei's really lost it."

"You said it." Kari agreed.

Suddenly, Gatomon's ears perked up again, and she turned towards the forest several hundred yards away. She glared at the tree line, flexing her claws.

"You okay, Gatomon?" Veemon asked.

"I don't know why but I get the strangest feeling we're being watched." Gatomon reported.

"I think we're all just a little skittish." Kari assured.

"I think we need to be more worried about Yolei possibly hurting herself." Cody sighed. They jumped at a crashing and growling sound and rushed to the edge of the crater, gasping in shock at the sight of a humongous, monster-like spider Digimon charging for Yolei.

"Oh no!" Hawkmon groaned. "It's the dreaded Dokugumon! He's an insect type Digimon whose special attack is Poison Thread. You don't want to get caught up in his web!"

Yolei, quickly reduced from brave and strong to very much afraid, could only let out a terrified scream. Her screams echoed out to the forest surrounding the area, and seconds later a shadow began darting through the trees towards her voice. Flashes of sunlight through the foliage revealed it to be the creature from before.

"I know it's not a good idea to be following them." she said. "But I can't just ignore a cry like that." But by the time she reached the tree line, she had to skid to a halt at the sight of a large eruption of fire coming from the crater. "Whoa! What a blast! You think they're okay? What's that? Where?" She turned to see a group of children and Digimon gathered at another spot on the tree line. "What do we do?" A pause. "Are you serious? What if they need help? Yes I know they're resourceful but….ugh, fine. But I think we should be keeping an eye on them. Can you at least agree to that?"

Veemon, recently dedigivolved back to his Rookie form, journeyed to the others immediately after finishing with Dokugumon. "How's Hawkmon?"

Davis turned to his Digimon partner. "I think he'll be all right. We wrapped him up in bandages. Now we just have to keep him safe until he heals. He sure was brave saving Yolei like that."

Yolei sat off to one side, sobbing uncontrollably. Everyone stared sadly for a moment before Kari rose and took a few steps towards the purple-haired girl. "Yolei?"

Yolei continued to sob for a few moments before rising to her feet, her fists clenched. "I'll stay here and take care of Hawkmon, okay? You guys go out and find the Emperor's headquarters."

"But—" Davis started.

"I don't want to cause trouble for anyone else!" Yolei sobbed as she came to them. "Please just go!"

Everyone stared in shock for a moment until T.K. stood and said "All right then. We'll see you later." Yolei seemed surprised, but Davis and Cody voiced their agreements albeit reluctantly.

"I'll stay here." Kari offered.

"You will?" Yolei gasped.

"More of the Digimon Emperor's slaves might attack." Kari reasoned. "So we better have Gatomon around as a bodyguard."

"Good point." Gatomon agreed.

"All right." T.K. decided. "If anything happens we can always email each other. And you'll always know where we are through the D3s. If we haven't found the base by nightfall, we'll come back here, okay?"

"Okay." Kari waved as the boys left. Yolei seemed to be in a much better mood as Kari turned to her. "Hey Yolei."

"What?" Yolei asked.

"Well, I know you're trying to do what's right and win this battle and everything." Kari said. "But you're going about it the wrong way. I tried the same thing one time, but I was wrong too."

Yolei seemed surprised, but smiled in understanding. "We have to work together as a team. Right Kari?"

Kari smiled too. "Now you get it."

"Well I'm glad we got _that _straightened out." Gatomon said. "Now I'm going to see if I can find some herbs for Hawkmon."

"Hurry back!" Yolei requested. Gatomon nodded and walked off into the forest, keeping a keen eye out for something to help with Hawkmon's wounds. Then, she caught a whiff of a familiar, wonderful scent.

"Catnip!" Gatomon cheered, running towards a patch of the lovely green plant. She immediately grabbed a paw full and yanked on it, but the plant's roots stayed firm. She dug her heels into the ground and pulled with all her might, but the plants wouldn't come loose. Gatomon groaned and pulled for several minutes, but the catnip didn't come up. "How strange. I guess catnip in the Digital World is stronger than the stuff in Kari's world." Suddenly, she felt that same feeling from before; that someone watched her.

Someone right behind her.

Gatomon jumped and held her claws ready, glaring at the trees around her. A shadow shot all around, darting from one tree to another. Then, the figure stopped in the deep shadows behind the catnip. Gatomon held her claws ready, narrowing her eyes. But even with her enhanced cat eyesight, she couldn't make heads or tails of the creature's identity. Suddenly, Gatomon heard the unmistakable sound of metal on wood, and she saw a flash of light from a blade. Gatomon prepared to strike, but the sword suddenly sliced through the catnip and sent it flying into the air. The sword disappeared, back into its sheath Gatomon assumed, and a pair of pale hands reached out to catch the catnip as it fell. The hands jerked a little towards Gatomon.

"You want me to take it?" Gatomon guessed. The hands jerked again, as though to confirm it. Gatomon came forward and took the catnip. She stared at the hands, noting how they looked suspiciously like human hands. "Who are you?"

The shadow stayed still for a moment before it vanished, leaving an open space. Gatomon stared for a moment before returning to the girls, her arms full of the catnip. _I wonder who that strange figure was. They must be a friend if they were willing to help me. But then why wouldn't they show their face? _She sighed. "We already have enough on our plate with the Digimon Emperor. We don't need another problem."

* * *

Kari hummed as she wandered into the forest, searching for more catnip. She left Gatomon with Hawkmon and Yolei, at her request because of Gatomon's report of a strange shadow in the forest. Kari stopped humming and sighed softly.

"With all the things happening now, it's hard to know for sure who we can trust." Kari spoke her thoughts. "This shadow may have helped us now, but how do we know he or she doesn't work for the Digimon Emperor? It seems all of our old allies have left us. I've seen very few of the Digimon I knew while in the Digital World the first time around." She looked up and around at all the trees. "I don't know if anyone is listening to me, but I really need some help."

_Snap._

Kari jumped and spun around, searching for the one who stepped on the twig. But she saw nothing. "Who's there? I'm warning you; I have the power of the DigiDestined on my side and I'll let it out." Nothing came to greet her, but she also sensed nothing left either. Then, quick as a wink, she scooped up a stone and threw it as hard as she could. She heard an audible _thump _and a yelp of pain, followed by the hard _thud _of someone falling over. Kari marched up to the source of the sounds, glaring. "I don't know who you are, but you better stop spying on us if you know what's good for you." She paused when she saw a shadow shuffling, as though in fear, away from her. Her face softened. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" She knelt down, smiling softly. "I'm sorry I threw the rock; I thought you were with the Digimon Emperor. But you're not, are you?" The top of the shadow moved as though to shake its head. Kari's smile grew. "Will you come out please? I want to make sure I didn't hurt you too much."

The shadow shook its head feverishly. Kari stepped forward, but the shadow scooted back farther. A spot of moonlight shone through the trees, leaving just enough light that Kari noticed navy blue fabric and a skull symbol. It was a symbol she recognized.

Kari gasped softly. "Is it really you?"

The shadow suddenly darted away without a word, leaving Kari to stare after it. _Was it him? Was it really him?_

_Wizardmon?_


	3. An Old Enemy Returns

**Episode 19: An Old Enemy Returns**

Patamon thought for sure that he wouldn't get used to being Pegasusmon instead of Angemon. But when he flew through the air as he did now, he began to realize it wasn't so different. And now he could carry T.K. on his back instead of in his arms.

"I still think we should've told the others before we left." Submarimon said as he swam in the river below.

"It may be none of my beeswax," Tentomon added, looking to T.K. "But why didn't you ask Davis to come with us?"

"I didn't want to leave Kari and Yolei alone anymore." T.K. said, obviously still worried. "Don't worry, he'll understand."

"I'm just glad I'm not going to be the one to tell him." Tentomon said. T.K. inwardly chuckled, imagining Davis' shocked reaction. But after hearing of a strange shadow watching the girls last night, he didn't feel safe just leaving them alone, and Davis would jump at the chance of protecting Kari in a heartbeat. At the same time, they needed to find the Digimon Emperor's base soon. Unfortunately, the five of them didn't see anything for a while. Even when Kari, Nefertimon, Yolei, and Halsemon came to join them, nothing could be found. But it was a little amusing to discover they left Davis and Veemon in the dust, considering the little blue dragon Digimon couldn't digivolve to something that flew.

"We've been flying for hours and we haven't seen a thing." Pegasusmon groaned.

"I'll check with Cody and see if he's seen anything." T.K. said, sending the younger boy a quick email.

Beneath the waves, Cody lay comfortably inside Submarimon as they patrolled the waters. "What did T.K. say?" Submarimon asked.

"They haven't spotted anything from up above." Cody reported.

"Well we haven't seen much of anything either except seaweed." Submarimon would've shrugged if possible. "Maybe we should turn back."

Cody was about to agree when he noticed a large rock formation. Upon further investigation it turned out to be an almost L shaped rock with little domes, almost like windows, dotted around it. "What _is _that thing?"

"Let's dig a little further." Submarimon suggested, swimming towards the strange rock. "This thing is enormous! It makes Texas look like Rhode Island. It has to be the Digimon Emperor's base."

"I'll let T.K. know that we found it." Cody paused with his eyes widening a bit in surprise. "Hey Submarimon, check that out."

The submarine Digimon looked and discovered an opening into the base. Not only that, two figures approached it from another direction. He could only recognize a Dolphmon that dragged another figure behind him. The second figure was dark as a shadow, but Cody and Submarimon could see the shadow nod and wave, as though in thanks, as the Dolphmon swam off. The shadow disappeared into the cave that led inside the base. Cody stared intently at where the shadow once rested, the gears in his brain churning overtime.

"What do you think that was?" Submarimon asked. Cody didn't answer for a while. He sent a quick email to T.K. about their location and they continued on. "Hey Cody." Submarimon said. "You've gone awfully quiet."

"I was just thinking." Cody explained. "Remember when Kari and Gatomon told us about the shadow that spied on them? At first, we believed that it worked for the Digimon Emperor. I know it's crazy, but I have a theory that the shadow we just saw was the same shadow Gatomon and Kari saw. And if it's sneaking into the base, then maybe the shadow is on our side."

"And what exactly did you base this on?" Submarimon asked.

"I'm not sure." Cody admitted. "Just a feeling I guess." _Usually I don't go with just feelings; I always have some sort of proof or logic to follow. But I've never felt surer of something like this. I think there's more to this shadow than meets the eye. Still, we'll have to be careful in case it's an enemy._

* * *

The shadow slipped into the base, taking a quiet, deep breath of fresh air and wringing out her Wizardmon hat. "Didn't think I could hold my breath for so long. Thank goodness for that Dolphmon for helping us, huh?" The shadow continued on, staying in the darkness so to avoid detection. "I wonder what the Digimon Emperor has in store this time. Are you sure we can trust him?" Again, not another soul stood near the shadowy creature, yet she spoke as though a companion journeyed beside her. "I'm sure we can handle this. I'm not afraid of the Digimon Emperor. But if your plan doesn't work, if the DigiDestined can't show him the way, what are we supposed to do?"

A lack of response made the shadow pause. She sighed. "I guess we'll find out when we cross that bridge, huh?" She smiled warmly. "Keep your hopes up. We'll make it." She continued through the shadows, but suddenly froze to a stop. Her breathing hitched and she gasped, falling to her knees. "I'm fine. But I feel something. An intense darkness." She suddenly grinned maliciously. "It feels good. I can feel it seeping into my very soul." The shadow kept smiling evilly until something felt like a slap to the face. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that. You weren't kidding with that whole 'influence of darkness' thing, huh?" She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm calm. I'm good." She took one more breath to make sure, then smirked in confidence. "Let's do this."

* * *

"I'm tired." Armadillomon complained as he and Cody ran up some stairs. "Don't they have an escalator in this place?"

The two of them stopped at a window and looked through it, noticing a large, circular room and a machine stretching from the top to the bottom, both shrouded in blackness. "Whoa." Cody breathed.

"My thoughts exactly." Armadillomon agreed.

"This has to be the engine room." Cody rationalized.

"I say we destroy this place once and for all." Armadillomon suggested.

"We will." Cody assured. "But let's take a look around first."

"All right, if you say so." Armadillomon said. "Hey, you think it's kinda cold in here?"

"Not especially." Cody shrugged.

Armadillomon rubbed his arm. "That's weird. 'Cause I can't seem to warm myself up. The chill of evil's in the air."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic." He gasped softly and narrowed his eyes.

"Cody?" Armadillomon asked. "Well now look who's being dramatic."

"I saw it again." Cody said. "That shadow. It's making me more and more nervous every time it shows up."

"Why's that?" Armadillomon asked.

"Just recently we saw the ghost of a Digimon, that Wizardmon." Cody explained. "And now we're seeing that shadow almost everywhere we go. You think it's possible it's Wizardmon's ghost watching us?"

"If it is, we don't have to worry." Armadillomon assured. "The old DigiDestined trust Wizardmon, so I think it's safe to say we can too. If it turns out the shadow is Wizardmon's ghost, then we should be thankful that he's such a good friend. He's watching over us like a guardian angel."

Cody smiled warmly. "Good point, Armadillomon. Maybe you're right; maybe it _is _Wizardmon and he's protecting us." He turned and continued walking. "Come on. Let's keep going."

* * *

The Digimon Emperor chuckled to himself as his ship drifted closer and closer to the Dark Pool. "Now, into the Dark Whirlpool."

Wormmon's concerned look seemed to deepen, if even possible. It's when his master began to laugh maniacally did he really get worried. _Oh Ken. Please don't make a mistake. I don't want to lose you._

Unbeknownst to them, the shadowy creature stood just outside the door, pressed against a wall and eavesdropping on them. "I'll give that Digimon Emperor something to laugh about." She growled softly. She started pulling out her chisa katana when she paused. "What do you mean 'don't attack'? Are there rocks in your brain? I think you've been stuck inside me too long. Why don't you shut up and leave me alone?" She blinked in surprise, sheathing her sword and staring at the ground. "Wow. That came out of nowhere. Sorry about that. It's so strange; the closer we get to that pool the stronger the darkness seems to become. It's even starting to overwhelm _me." _She frowned. "Let's poke around somewhere else; maybe going deeper into the base will block out some of the darkness." She disappeared, without the Digimon Emperor ever knowing.

The base finally broke through the waters and floated inside the whirlpool. All around floated spirits and ghosts and other spooky things, but the Digimon Emperor remained undeterred. "Just look at it, Wormmon. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It looks more scary than beautiful, Master." Wormmon gulped. The Emperor didn't respond, staring intently at the blackness that shrouded the bottom of the pool. Wormmon looked up at him. "Master?"

"Hm?" The Emperor seemed to just realize he was staring.

"Are you all right?" Wormmon asked.

"Never been better." The Emperor assured. "Initiate the attack!" A hatch opened in the base, and a trio of robot Digimon floated out. But suddenly, an invisible force seemed to catch them and dragged them down into the depths of the pool, their screams echoing to nothing. "What's going on? They're gone!" the Emperor growled. "How'd that happen?!" He glared at the blackness the Digimon disappeared to. "Sector A, report." No response came. "Sector B, come in!" Still, no response. "Sector C! Where is everybody?"

"They were never very good at spelling." Wormmon shrugged. The Digimon Emperor growled and marched off. "Where are you going?"

"If you want something done right, do it yourself." The raven-haired boy replied. Wormmon stared worriedly after him.

* * *

"This base is huge!" the shadowy creature groaned. "How are we supposed to find anything of use in here?" She continued to run for several minutes before stopping to catch her breath. Then, she paused. "Can you feel that? Something's wrong. The Digimon Emperor's about to do something really stupid; he's going too close to the darkness of the pool." She resumed her running. "We have to find someplace safe to connect with his mind and find out what's going on." The creature paused. "What? Where?" She found a door up ahead and pushed through it, running and leaping off a catwalk. She landed on something hard, which she assumed was just another storage box. "Perfect. Nobody will find us in here." She sat down and cross her legs, resting her hands on her knees and closing her eyes. She concentrated on the Digimon Emperor's energy, searching for him throughout the base. _Once I connect with him, my senses will synchronize with his. Maybe then we can find out what's going on._

Within the whirlpool, the Digimon Emperor drove one of his robot Digimon farther and farther down, much to the discomfort of Wormmon. But then, he stopped at the sight of the top half of a large, humanoid Digimon, all black with fangs and wings. The scanner told the Emperor that it was called Devimon.

"Perfect." The Emperor activated a sort of vacuum and began absorbing the Digimon before him. "I'll take what I need from this Digimon then my Digimon will be completed."

The shadow, now seeing and hearing everything from the Emperor's point of view, could only frown. "The fool doesn't realize a good Digimon when he sees it. Is Wormmon not—" She was suddenly interrupted but a new voice; this one deep and radiating with creepiness.

"_Are you sure?"_

The Digimon Emperor and the shadow gasped softly, surprised by the disembodied voice.

"_Do you really believe you can control the powers of darkness?"_

"All right, who are you?" the Digimon Emperor demanded.

"_I am here to warn you. Beware the darkness."_

From there, the shadowy creature could no longer concentrate. She opened her eyes and broke the mediation, no longer connected to the Digimon Emperor. She stared at the ground, or at least she assumed it was the ground; it was too dark to really see anything. But she could still reach into her collar and touch the necklace hanging around her neck. The creature fingered the string for a while, clearly troubled.

"You always told me I was chosen for a reason." The creature told her imaginary friend. "That it was my destiny to carry this with me. But then why am I so affected by the darkness, especially now, all of a sudden? I feel like I'm not on the enemy's side, but at the same time I don't feel like I belong with those DigiDestined kids. Am I _supposed _to be evil? Or am I just weird?" She sighed. "Can't tell, can you? You're holding secrets from me and I don't appreciate it. We agreed that we'd tell each other everything and yet you continue to keep me in the dark, no pun intended." She tilted her head up. "I trust you; I really do. I won't be angry if what you tell me is bad."

* * *

Cody at first believed an enemy came when he heard that soft _thump. _But it turned out to be only T.K. throwing his hat down. Still, the sight of the usually calm T.K. now so angry made Cody a little nervous. "You okay, T.K.?"

"Cody, I've got some unfinished business to take care of." T.K. said, tossing his bag down. "Time to get to work." He marched off, leaving Cody even more confused.

"T.K. wait a minute!" Cody called.

"T.K.!" Patamon hurriedly flew after his partner. Cody stared after them, not sure if he should follow, try to stop him, or just stand there. By the time he decided to just stand there, T.K. and Patamon disappeared.

"Where's he off to?" Digmon asked. "Maybe we should follow him."

"Don't worry," Tentomon assured. "Patamon will take care of T.K. We need to keep working to free these Digimon."

Cody couldn't argue with that. "You're right….." He helped the two bug Digimon as they broke down cell doors and then led the freed prisoners en masse out of there

Suddenly, a low growl rang out through the base, sending shivers up everyone's spines. The shadowy creature jumped and looked down, startled to discover a pair of glowing red eyes several feet below her. She gulped. "I get the feeling we're not on a crate." Light poured in as the roof opened up and a platform pushed the large figure and the creature to the skies. Turns out, the creature sat on top of a Digimon version of Frankenstein, numerous pieces of other Digimon combined into one.

"Oh this can't be good." The creature gulped. She yelped and suddenly fell back into the Digimon's flaming red hair as it took off into the skies.

"Do you see what I see?" Yolei asked as she and Kari rode their Digimon through the skies. The others followed her gaze to see the monstrous Digimon approaching fast. "What is that thing?" Yolei breathed.

"It's Kimeramon!" Kari reported, reading off her D-terminal. "He's the combination of many Digimon into one!"

"_Eagle Eye!"_ Halsemon launched the red beams from his eyes, but they bounced off Kimeramon's head.

"_Cat's Eye Beam!"_ Nefertimon sent her own blast, but Kimeramon dodged it easily. Kimeramon swooped around and began shooting after the girls. They managed to move away in time, but not before Kimeramon's tail smacked Halsemon out of the sky. His multiple arms swished past Nefertimon and Kari, trying to snatch them but instead swatting them farther away. The two flying Digimon zipped about Kimeramon's head and body, trying to land a good attack. Meanwhile, the creature buried herself deep into Kimeramon's hair as though to protect herself. No matter what Nefertimon and Halsemon did, they couldn't lay down a good enough blow and continually needed to dodge Kimeramon's attacks while keeping the girls safe. Eventually, they found Cody, Digmon, Tentomon and a group of other Digimon on a small island and decided to leave the girls there.

"Nefertimon! Halsemon! You guys be careful, okay?" Kari pleaded.

"_Heat Viper!"_ Kimeramon suddenly launched a sickly green colored blast from his mouth, almost frying Tentomon in the process but instead hitting the Digimon Emperor's base.

"_Tempest Wing!"_ Halsemon launched his wind attack.

"_Rosetta Stone!"_ Nefertimon coupled her attack with Halsemon's, but Kimeramon barely reacted.

"They had no effect!" Halsemon gasped. Suddenly, one of the Devimon arms smacked Halsemon as though he were a fly, sending him tumbling out of the air and smashing into the top of the base. Kimeramon moved in to finish him off, but Nefertimon arrived just in time.

"Halsemon! Let's get out of here!" She picked up the bird Digimon and carried him to safety just as Kimeramon launched another blast. Kimeramon was quick to shoot after the smaller flying Digimon and caught each one in two of his six hands, squeezing them so tightly he could've broken their bones if at Rookie level.

"_Aqueous Beam!"_

A sudden green light hit Kimeramon's hands, releasing his captives. The source of the beam: Pegasusmon and T.K., finally returning to join the fight.

"Thanks Pegasusmon." Halsemon said.

"It was just a little horseplay." Pegasusmon joked.

"Kimeramon's stopped moving!" T.K. realized. "Let's take this opportunity to get out of here!" The Digimon couldn't have agreed more, flying off before their giant opponent could regain his senses. They joined their friends and hurried back to the shoreline, leaving Kimeramon and the Digimon Emperor's base in the dust.

Finally hearing peacefulness, the creature stood from Kimeramon's mane. "That was the single most terrifying yet thrilling experience I've ever been through." The shadowy creature panted. She smiled broadly. "Let's do it again!" She giggled a little, staring after the DigiDestined. "They really are powerful and brave. Maybe they _don't_ need my help." Her smile shrunk a little. "Which means I have a ways to go before I find my true destiny, huh?" She suddenly frowned. "What?" She looked to the horizon. "You're right; the sun's setting. We better get inside."

* * *

"Here's your hat, T.K." Cody said, handing the blonde boy his hat. "I didn't want anyone to step on it."

"That's okay, Cody." T.K. assured, taking back the hat. "I have six others just like it; one for each day of the week."

"I'm ready to fight and all the action is over with!" Davis complained. "I wish we got here sooner."

Veemon moped a little too, still very much energized unlike his fellow Digimon. "The other Digimon can fly. Why can't I?"

"Come on. You've got your own fighting skills." Davis assured. "Like that head of yours is as hard as mine!"

Veemon had to smile at that. "Right."

"Anyway, let's here if for T.S.!" Davis cheered. "He really let Ken have it!"

"Yay!" everyone cheered.

"Uh, that's T.K." T.K. corrected. Everyone laughed good-naturedly.

Cody stared off in the distance, the base long since disappeared. "What's wrong, Cody?" Armadillomon asked.

"I'm still thinking about that shadow." Cody said. "I feel like we should be wary because it might be an enemy, but at the same time I keep getting this feeling that he or she is a friend. It's based completely on a gut feeling in my stomach, but I can't help it."

"You know what I think?" Gatomon said with a soft smile. "I think it's Wizardmon. I bet he's still watching over us."

"Even if he is, I don't think that shadow is him." Kari said. "I threw a rock at the shadow and I'm pretty sure I hit him."

"It really just boils down to whether this shadow is watching over us or spying on us." T.K. said. "For now, we be careful."

Everyone else agreed.

* * *

On the Digimon Emperor's base, the shadow continually drifted about the area like a ghost before coming to the control room the Emperor liked to be in. The shadow watched the Emperor for a moment before continuing on, hopefully to find someplace to rest for the night without being spotted.

_He's so strong, yet so lost. _The shadow thought. _Sometimes I wonder what I've gotten myself into._

_It's what you've gotten _us _into._

_I know._

_You don't have to do this alone. We're in this together. It's kind of impossible for us _not _to._

The shadow smirked. _You and your humor._

_Sleep well, my friend._

_Goodnight Rika._


	4. The Darkness Before Dawn

**Episode 20: The Darkness Before Dawn**

"This is terrible." Kari groaned.

It was the understatement of the decade as the DigiDestined watched the Digimon Emperor's base and Kimeramon destroy a nearby village. The poor resident Digimon ran and screamed for their lives, desperate to escape. Luckily, most if not all of them made it out. But now their village lay in ashen ruins.

"Ken does a lot of damage from his flying RV, even if it does look like a giant flying slug." Davis huffed.

"And all those poor Digimon." Kari sighed sadly. "They don't have a home anymore."

"I'm tired of bad things happening to good Digimon." Davis growled.

"Wait'll I get my paws on Ken." Raidramon growled.

"He's destroying everything in his path." Digmon noted.

"And he shows no signs of letting up." Halsemon added.

"It's like he wants to burn every square inch of the Digital World." Cody sighed angrily.

"Bite your tongue." Yolei scolded.

"That can't taste very good." Tentomon would've stuck out his tongue if he could.

"I don't care what it takes." T.K. declared with a determined frown. "I'm going to find a way to stop that thing."

"T.K.'s right; we have to destroy it." Kari agreed. "No matter what it costs us."

"I think everyone agrees, but even when we all combine we still don't have the power to defeat him." Pegasusmon said.

The DigiDestined fell silent for a moment, unable to argue. Even when all the Digimon Armor Digivolved they hardly left a dent in Kimeramon. The mysterious shadow from before hadn't been seen the entire night. "So now what?" Kari asked.

"We have two options: quit or give up, because nothing will stop him until he runs out of gas!" Tentomon groaned hopelessly.

Cody gasped softly in surprise, staring at the floating base. "Runs out of gas…" His gaze shifted over to Digmon's drills. "Tentomon, you just gave me an idea."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Tentomon gulped a little, his nervousness kicking into high gear.

Cody suddenly noticed something else. "Hey, what's that? A pipeline!"

"What are you thinking, Cody?" Yolei asked.

"I'm not totally sure, but I think Izzy might be able to help." Cody took out his D3. "I'll shoot him a quick email and see what he thinks."

"Well he better think fast, before that floating hunk of junk gets too far away." Davis urged.

"We'll have to be patient, Davis." Kari said. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

* * *

On the Digimon Emperor's base, the self-proclaimed monarch watched his greatest creation, Kimeramon, fly ahead and basically lead the way to more villages to be destroyed. Everything was going exactly as planned, and even the DigiDestined couldn't stop him now.

"I should build a monument to myself." He chuckled darkly.

Suddenly, a round of evil laughter, much deeper than his own, resonated in his head. Feeling the searing pain return, he fell to his knees with an agonized groan.

Wormmon, suddenly panicking, hurried closer to his master. "Master what's wrong?"

The Digimon Emperor refused to turn and look at him. "Just leave me alone." He panted a little, fighting the pain and willing the voice to leave him.

"Why don't you take a time out from all the destruction?" Wormmon suggested. "You can start again tomorrow."

"Go away." the Emperor half-pleaded, more to the voice than to Wormmon. The evil laughter returned, resonating louder and louder.

"_You can't hide from the darkness!" _the voice declared.

"Who are you?!" the Digimon Emperor shouted to the ceiling.

"I'm Wormmon, don't you remember?" With every passing second Wormmon's concern grew.

"_Watch your step." _The voice warned teasingly. _"Or you might fall into a hole you didn't even know was there!"_

The Digimon Emperor looked down and his eyes widened at the circle in the ground that dropped out to nothing. Terrified, the raven-haired boy let out a scream. As suddenly as it appeared, the hole and the voice were gone, leaving the boy panting again.

"Master, what's wrong?" Wormmon demanded worriedly. "Are you okay?"

The Digimon Emperor continued to pant for a moment before he began chuckling madly. He rose to his feet, giggling insanely. "Now that I have Kimeramon, nothing can stop me from ruling this world. Not even some stupid voice." He continued to cackle like a madman, much to the concern of the insect Digimon behind him.

Deeper within the base, a figure in the shadows clutched their hands to their head, desperately willing the pain and voice to go away. When it finally did, the figure panted a little.

"You felt that too, didn't you?" the figure whispered. "It's getting stronger. I fear if we do not act soon then the Emperor will never become who he's meant to be." The figure paused. "For the last time: no! We are not to reveal ourselves!" Another pause. "Because they won't understand! They'll hate us….they'll hate me…..and they'll have every right to. Believe me it's better this way. But you won't believe me; because you're just so stubborn." The figure took off. "We need to keep moving. Staying in one place too long runs the risk of us being spotted."

Suddenly, the figure rounded a corner and ran right into a Bakemon. "Hey!" the ghost Digimon snapped. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"On second thought," the figure said, twirling their weapon. "Maybe we should've stayed in one place."

* * *

Davis yawned. "I'm exhausted. Let's stop and sleep."

"Not yet." T.K. encouraged. "Let's keep going a little further."

Davis sighed inaudibly. He felt he had every right to complain about being sleepy; they stayed awake all day and throughout most of the night. Actually, his clock on his D3 read 6 a.m., so the sun most likely rose by now. Meaning they were awake nearly a full 24 hours. Truthfully, everyone felt so tired they could hardly stay awake. But they couldn't complain too much; Izzy's plan worked great. Gabumon, Agumon, and Tentomon set fire to an oil spurt and the floating base flew right through it, slowing it down so that the Digimon Emperor could take care of it. Now the DigiDestined traveled through a tunnel in the base to find the engine room and shut it down. As long as they didn't run into any more surprises everything would work out just fine.

"Hi there!"

The sudden exclamation woke everyone up pretty fast and they shouted in surprise. The Digimon prepared to attack, but paused in confusion. Everyone stare a little at the figure in their path: a young girl about Kari's age. In fact, she looked very similar to Kari, only she had long black hair gathered in a loose ponytail down her back and her eyes sparkled with a pretty shade of dark lavender behind a pair of rounded rectangle black glasses. She wore blue pajama pants under her flower-dotted white nightgown. A faint, dusty trail of footprints trailed behind her, indicating she spent a lot of time outside without shoes or she recently walked through a pile of dirt. Either way, the soles of her currently bare feet were most likely filthy. Some sort of black strap ran from her right shoulder to her left hip, but whatever hung off it remained hidden behind the girl's back. A Wizardmon hat rested on her head and a katana was strapped to her hip. Her smile seemed bright as the sun, and the DigiDestined kids and Digimon didn't realize they stared until her smile became a confused frown.

"Oh, uh, hi." T.K. greeted.

The girl's smile returned. "Never seen another human in the DigiWorld besides the Digimon Emperor."

"Neither have we." Kari admitted.

"Do you live here?" the girl asked.

"No." Cody shook his head.

"Visiting some friends?" the girl guessed.

"You could say that." Yolei nodded albeit awkwardly.

"Are there other human kids with you?" the girl looked around as though to find them.

"Nope. Just us five. What about you?" Davis replied.

"Nah. I kind of live out here alone." The girl shrugged.

Halsemon blinked. "You live here?"

"Well, certainly not in this creepy base." The girl shrugged. "But I do live here in the Digital World."

The kids and their Digimon stared for a while, very much confused. T.K.'s thoughts ran wild. _What's a girl like her living here alone in the DigiWorld? She looks like she just rolled out of bed, but those dirty clothes make it seem like she's been here for years. _"You know it's not safe to be alone out in the DigiWorld, much less this base. Why don't you come along and you can stay with us?"

"Really?" the girl's smile seemed to grow, if possible. "I'd love to! I'm Rika by the way."

"I'm T.K." the blonde boy introduced as they all continued walking. T.K. finally noticed a violin case rested on Rika's back as he pulled her up behind him on Pegasusmon. The other DigiDestined introduced themselves, smiling warmly.

"So where's your Digimon?" Pegasusmon asked.

"My Digimon?" Rika repeated.

"Your Digimon Partner." Nefertimon explained. "Like how I'm Kari's partner and Pegasusmon T.K.'s."

"Oh." Rika nodded in understanding. "I don't have one."

"Then where'd you get the Wizardmon hat?" Kari asked.

"I made it." Rika said.

"Impressive." T.K. complimented. "With that hairstyle and hat you almost look just like him."

"Thanks." Rika bowed a little. "I've always admired the Wizardmon. I don't see one very often."

"We've only ever seen one." Kari admitted. She looked down and frowned a little. "He was a good friend, but then he was killed."

Nefertimon's head drooped. "He was more than a good friend. He was my best friend. And he died saving our lives."

Rika smiled softly. "I bet he was a really great friend if he was willing to sacrifice himself for you."

Kari and Nefertimon looked away, the pain still lingering. Davis's sudden exclamation made them jump a little. "Hey guys look! There's a light at the end of the tunnel!"

"Couldn't you think of something a little more original?" T.K. rolled his eyes. Still, everyone was relieved to finally reach the actual base instead of winding through its tunnels. The room they entered was made completely of metal, with blocky designs and strange panels.

"Hey, look at that!" Davis called.

"Wow it looks like something out of a science fiction movie!" T.K. breathed.

"Yeah, and I'm the hot shot pilot who rescues Princess Kari from the bad space guys." Davis chuckled as he and the other kids dismounted their Digimon.

"He said science fiction not complete fantasy." Kari rolled her eyes.

"Does he _always _act like that?" Rika giggled.

"You'd be surprised." Kari laughed a little. They continued forward, reaching an open space that dropped out to a large, circular room with a sort of antenna running through it. While they talked, Kari couldn't help but stare at Rika for a while. "Say, Rika?"

"Yes?" Rika leaned in as Kari whispered to her.

"By any chance have you been watching us for a while?" Kari asked. "We've been noticing a strange shadow following us around for a few days. Was that you?"

"Yeah." Rika nodded. "Sorry if I startled you. I've just been keeping tabs on you and the Digimon Emperor."

Before Kari could ask anything else, T.K.'s voice beside her interrupted her thoughts. "Down there. That's where the engine room is."

"Figures." Davis huffed. "How come the engine room is never on the same floor as the front door?"

"Because that would just be too easy." Rika sighed. "Bad guys always have to make things difficult."

"What's that sound?" Davis asked.

"Maybe your brain frying from trying to think of a way down." Rika laughed.

"Look, Bakemon!" Davis suddenly shouted. Everyone whipped around to see a door open and numerous ring-controlled Bakemon floating inside.

"At least they're small." Yolei said.

"Something tells me they're not here to welcome us." Cody noted.

"Cody's right." Kari agreed.

"No problem." Davis assured. "We'll welcome them instead."

The Bakemon charged, ready to take down the children and their Digimon. However, they became very surprised by the retaliation.

"_Thunder Blast!"_

"_Gold Rush!"_

"_Eagle Eye!"_

"_Queen's Paw!"_

"_Mane Wind!"_

In a flurry of laser-like attacks, lightning bolts, and a bunch of shooting drills the Bakemon fell to the ground, unconscious and the Dark Rings destroyed. However, one final Bakemon shot towards Rika who stood off to one side.

"Rika watch out!" T.K. called.

But the blonde boy didn't need to worry. Rika suddenly pulled out her chisa katana and jumped up, stabbing it towards the Bakemon. While the DigiDestined shouted in terror, they found she only used her sharp blade to break the Dark Ring. Landing and then jumping up again, Rika shouted in effort as she performed a perfect roundhouse that sent the Bakemon spiraling into a wall and slumping to the floor. Rika landed perfectly on her feet, sheathing her sword.

"Whoa." Cody breathed.

"That was amazing!" Yolei squealed.

"Let's leave while the ghosts are spooked!" Davis urged as they all ran out the door.

"How did you do that?" T.K. asked Rika, looking very excited over her recent bout of strength and agility.

"Lots of practice, I assure you." Rika smiled warmly. They continued to sprint down the corridor before arriving at another door, this one opening as they approached it. On the other side stood a massive room with numerous storage boxes scattered about the sides of the walls.

"Wow this place is huge!" Davis breathed. "I betcha Ken plays soccer in here."

"With who? He doesn't have any friends." Kari noted.

Suddenly, the ceiling began to crack and the room shook, and everyone jumped in surprise as snarling Kimeramon crashed through the ceiling and landed before them.

"Yeesh, talk about the Frankenstein of Digimon." Rika grimaced.

"Oh no it's Kimeramon." Davis groaned. To make matters worse, another round of familiar ghost Digimon appeared. "More Bakemon? What did Ken do, buy them by the dozen?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it." T.K. groaned in frustration. "We were almost in the engine room."

"Davis, you and the others go and hide." Raidramon ordered. "Kimeramon is really strong; it's going to take all of us to fight and it might get ugly."

"I agree." Pegasusmon nodded. "You need to stay clear, T.K."

"You guys be careful." T.K. warned.

Nefertimon could feel her trainer's grip tighten on her wings. "Don't worry, Kari."

"I'll try." Kari nodded.

"Save us some snacks for when this is all over." Digmon joked.

"And Rika," Halsemon turned to said girl. "I know you must be good with that sword, but for now use it to protect our trainers. You think you can do that?"

Rika nodded. "Whatever you say."

"Let's go, guys." Yolei urged. The humans nodded and hurried off to duck behind the crates. They watched as the Digimon clashed together in the fight, sending blasts and attacks and darting around to dodge others. The DigiDestined Digimon made quick work of the Bakemon, knocking them unconscious and destroying the controlling rings around them.

"All right!" Davis cheered.

"Look!" Cody called, pointing to a ring of Bakemon coming right towards them. Thankfully, they heard a familiar call of _"Gold Rush!"_ and the Bakemon got hit with drills that knocked them aside. "Great job! Thanks a lot Digmon!" Cody smiled proudly.

"Don't mention it." Digmon said, sounding congested without his drill nose.

With the Bakemon finally defeated, the Digimon charged for Kimeramon, who since then watched the battle from his position.

"_Heat Viper!"_ Kimeramon launched his blast, hitting a group of Bakemon and destroying them. The rest of the Digimon jumped away before they could be fried. But the shockwave from the blast sent them spiraling into the walls of the room.

"Whoa." Rika breathed. "I knew he was strong but that's ridiculous."

"He's too powerful!" Davis cried.

"And they weren't even hit!" Kari added.

"He doesn't care who he hits." T.K. said. "He's totally out of control." As though to prove his point, Kimeramon continued to send blasts out in seemingly random directions, forcing the other Digimon to spend more time dodging than attacking.

"_Thunder Blast!"_ Raidramon sent his lightning

"_Gold Rush!"_ Digmon launched his drills.

"_Tempest Wing!"_ Halsemon spun around for his swirling wind attack.

"_Star Shower!"_ Pegasusmon beat his wings.

"_Rosetta Stone!"_ Nefertimon gave it her all.

The attacks combined and blasted into Kimeramon's chest, sending smoke flying.

"We got him!" Davis cheered. But their joy was short lived when they realized Kimeramon still stood, looking as though nothing hit him. In fact, he looked much angrier.

"Or not." Rika groaned.

"It had no effect." Kari said sadly.

"That's impossible." Davis growled in frustration.

"They used their best attacks and he doesn't even have a scratch on him." Yolei realized.

"Now what?" Cody asked. "What else can we do?"

"I don't suppose anyone has a Plan B?" Rika asked.

"There's just nothing we can do right now except watch." T.K. said regretfully.

"_Heat Viper!"_ Kimeramon launched another attack, missing Halsemon and Nefertimon but still sending them reeling. He did the same to Pegasusmon, Raidramon, and Digmon, hurdling the smaller Digimon to various areas around the room.

Rika reeled back, covering her face. _I can feel the heat and power even from over here! What was Ken thinking by combining the powers of such strong Digimon?_

Suddenly, the Digimon began to dedigivolve to their in-training level forms, too weak to stay at the champion levels.

"Upamon!" Cody called.

"Poromon, oh no!" Yolei cried.

"DemiVeemon!" Davis shouted.

"Gatomon!" Kari cried.

"Patamon!" T.K. shouted.

Rika stared in shock and fear. _Oh no! Now what are we going to do? _They jumped when Kimeramon started towards them to finish the job. Rika glared in determination and jumped out to face the ginormous Digimon, brandishing her sword threateningly. _I better think of something fast! I won't last two seconds against something like this!_

* * *

In his monitor room, the Digimon Emperor stared intently at the little Digimon. "Wait a minute. Those little Digimon. I've seen them before." But why? Why did he have such a feeling of familiarity? His eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Now I remember. It was at that soccer game. When I first met those kids." He stared at the small Digimon, and without realizing it his voice became soft. "They're so little."

"That's right." Wormmon's voice came behind him. "They're just like human babies."

The Digimon Emperor spun around. "What?" It was more out of confusion and shock than anger. He turned back to the monitors to stare at the weak and wounded Digimon. _Human babies….little, helpless babies. _"I never thought of it before. Human babies?" He thought back to when he saw the DigiDestined walking with their "baby" Digimon. They did look awfully cute. And those kids treated their digital companions with great care as though mothers caring for young. Just by observing, the Digimon Emperor could somehow tell they were just like a little family. He closed his eyes in thought, and when he opened them he noticed Kimeramon still advancing towards them.

"Kimeramon! Stop!" the Digimon Emperor ordered.

* * *

Rika blinked in surprise when her would-be adversary suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Well that was unexpected."

"He stopped moving!" T.K. breathed.

"What's going on?" Davis demanded.

"I don't know but I say don't look a gift Unimon in the mouth." Rika suggested, sheathing her sword.

"She's right, now's our chance!" Kari urged. "Let's go!" They ran off to retrieve their wounded Digimon, scooping them up quickly and ducking behind the crates again to regroup and reorganize.

"So now what's the plan?" Cody asked.

"Let's get out of here." T.K. suggested.

"You mean leave?" Davis seemed flabbergasted.

"Our plan didn't work because our Digimon weren't strong enough." T.K. reasoned. "Sometimes you have to fall back, come up with a new plan, and try again."

"Besides, they don't have enough strength to keep going." Kari stared worriedly at Gatomon in her arms.

"I'm with T.K." Cody agreed.

"Well I'm not!" Davis declared. "Look guys we can't just give up and leave now. We might not ever get a chance like this again." He looked up at the still-frozen Kimeramon. "And how do we know he won't start attacking again? Come on, he's just standing there like a big, ugly stuffed animal! Let's finish what we came here to do!"

"It's impossible." Kari sighed.

"Kari's right." Cody agreed.

"Davis, look around." Yolei snapped. "Most of our Digimon have returned to their in-training forms."

DemiVeemon looked up sheepishly. "We didn't mean to."

Davis still looked angry. "I just can't forget what happened. We had to sit around and watch as this mix-and-matched monster destroyed everything. It didn't matter who got in his way. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't stand by and let that happen again!"

"It is really terrible." Rika agreed. "What if I went to find the engine room and destroyed it by myself? I still have my sword and all my strength."

"No. It's too dangerous." Gatomon said weakly from Kari's arms.

_How ironic. He said the same thing. _Rika glared at the ground. "So what? We just run away?"

"That's not an option." Davis growled. "And if none of you want to go with me then I'm going in alone 'cause I refuse to give up until this thing is completely destroyed once and for all."

The kids and Digimon stared at Davis, a bit surprised by such determination. Then, DemiVeemon climbed up Davis's shoulder and onto his head, smiling broadly. "I'm going with you, Davis."

"Are you sure?" Davis asked worriedly.

"Come on, do you really have to ask?" DemiVeemon teased, causing Davis to smile.

"All right then. Let's go!" He started running off.

"Wait I'm coming too!" Rika called, sprinting after him. Davis took her hand in his and pulled the girl in close, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding on tight. He jumped off the edge of the drop off and grabbed a chain, lowering himself, Rika, and DemiVeemon down towards the engine room.

"Hold on let me put on my safety belt!" DemiVeemon cried.

"Ow!" Davis yelped. "That's not a safety belt that's my hair!"

"Be careful we're going too fast!" Rika warned, her arms around Davis's neck. The two of them suddenly jumped as the chain stopped, barely catching the edge of one of the platforms. They dared to look down, only seeing darkness below them. "Some plan." Rika gulped.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." Davis realized.

"So what do we do now?" DemiVeemon asked worriedly.

"Just hang on." Rika said. "I'll see if I can climb up." She moved one hand down to her hip and grabbed her sword. In a swift movement, she pulled herself up and stabbed her blade into the top of the platform, giving her the leverage to pull herself up. Then she sheathed her blade and helped Davis and DemiVeemon up.

"Next time you climb and I'll sit on your head." Davis told DemiVeemon.

"Kimeramon! Don't let them get away!"

"Uh oh." Rika warned. "Digimon Emperor at twelve o'clock." She, Davis, and DemiVeemon heard a familiar growl, and then unexpectedly the sound of flapping wings.

The Digimon Emperor's voice rang out through the room. "Kimeramon! Where are you going? Kimeramon!"

Suddenly, the malicious laughter from before rang out, and this time everyone heard it. Davis jumped when Rika suddenly fell to her knees, clutching her head in pain.

"Rika! You okay?" Davis reached for her, but stopped when he noticed her trembling.

"I'm fine." Rika said through gritted teeth. _No. That's a lie. That voice; it's like it's attacking my very heart and soul! It hurts!_

Then, she heard Ken's thoughts through her head. _"I have nothing to be scared of. The powers of darkness mean nothing to me. I'm still the ruler of this world! Once I find Kimeramon nothing can stop me!"_

_The powers of darkness? _Rika thought. _That's right; he tried to control them and it's clearly not working out too well. After all, it's not his job, not his responsibility….. _"It's not his Crest."

"What was that?" Davis asked.

"Nothing." Rika said, standing. "Let's go destroy the engine room."

Davis nodded, looking down towards a structure ahead of them. "That looks like the engine room. Let's go!" They started forward, only to stop when Wormmon dropped in front of them. "Get out of the way! I know who you are!"

Wormmon seemed undeterred, turning towards the structure. "This way."

Davis, DemiVeemon, and Rika blinked in surprise. "Huh?" Davis asked.

"The engine room is over here." Wormmon said. "Follow me."

Davis became angry again. "Do I look stupid to you? Never mind. This is some kind of trap!"

"No!" Wormmon said firmly. "Listen, you have to believe me. This isn't a trap. I'm trying to save my master. He created this awful Digimon, Kimeramon, and now he can't control is anymore. I'm afraid things have gone too far and I'm losing him. I hope that if you destroy this place I'll be able to get him back. I'm willing to help you if you help me. What do you say? Is it a deal?"

Davis seemed think for a moment before lowering his defensive stance. "All right. I'll do it."

"You will?" Wormmon seemed very surprised.

"Sure." Davis nodded. "I'm not as big a jerk as people think."

Rika rolled her eyes. "Oh brother."

"Really you're not?" Wormmon asked. "Thanks come on!"

With Wormmon leading the way, the four of them journeyed into the engine room. Inside was only more metal and a strange black shape on a pedestal in the middle of the room. The place radiated with power.

"Do you feel that?" DemiVeemon breathed. "It's like the whole room is full of some kind of energy."

"What do you think it is?" Davis asked.

"I don't know but it's coming from that black thing!" DemiVeemon pointed to the black shape on the pedestal.

"I'm going to take a stab and say that's about right." Rika agreed.

"Ken found that." Wormmon said. "Somehow the power from it is making this base move."

"Okay, so all we have to do is take it away and the base will stop moving." Davis guessed.

"Be careful, Davis." Rika warned. "You never know what might happen."

"We'll never be able to lift it!" Davis sighed worriedly. Turns out, they didn't need to; the black shape floated off the pedestal and into the air. Seconds later, the energy dropped significantly and the lights went out all across the base.

"Davis, I don't know what you're doing but keep doing it!" Rika urged.

"I got a weird feeling about this." Davis admitted. Suddenly, bright streams of light shot from the black shape, enveloping the space in a golden glow. "What's going on?"

"Davis, look at that!" DemiVeemon jumped to the floor and pointed to the shape. On the side, a pink symbol appeared.

"The Crest of Kindness." Rika whispered to herself.

Then, a gold glow came from DemiVeemon, and when it died he was back to Veemon. "You digivolved!" Davis gasped. "How?" The light and power seemed to increase greatly, making them all flinch. The light spread and shot out, destroying the walls of the engine room around them. When the light died, the shape had gone from black to golden.

"Hey Veemon look at that!" Davis breathed. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Me neither!" Veemon admitted.

"Ah man it looks like a golden Digi-Egg." Davis blinked in surprise as the Digi-Egg floated to him and into his hands. "I guess this means that it's mine."

"That would be my best guess." Rika smiled.

Davis smiled and turned to Veemon. "Veemon. Think you can handle it?"

Veemon smiled. "Yeah!"

Davis held out the Digi-Egg. _"Golden Armor Energize!"_

The Digi-Egg started glowing again, this time brighter and more powerful.

"_Veemon golden armor digivolve to…."_ The golden light engulfed Veemon, making him grow larger and forming into armor pieces on his body. _"Magnamon!"_

"Dude that's amazing!" Davis breathed.

"How'd you do that?" Wormmon wondered.

"It's incredible." Rika sighed in awe. _No wonder he's a DigiDestined._

Magnamon floated up to the Digimon Emperor, who stared in wonder and a little fear.

Magnamon smirked. "The balance has shifted."


	5. The Crest of Kindness

**Episode 21: The Crest of Kindness**

"_Golden Armor Energize!"_

"_Veemon Golden Armor Digivolve to….Magnamon!"_

Everyone stared in awe at Veemon's new Digivolved form. Davis and Rika, the closest, needed to shield their eyes from the bright light for a while. But they still continued to stare.

"I am Magnamon, a Golden Armor Digimon that attacks with my Magna Blaster." Magnamon introduced. "And I look so good doing it too."

"In other words, he's our ticket to victory." Rika smiled in triumph.

The light emitting from Magnamon spread throughout the chamber, all the way up to the other DigiDestined and their Digimon.

"Our strength is back!" Poromon cheered.

"Yeah, mine too!" Upamon bounced with joy. The bright light began to engulf them, changing them and helping them to digivolve to their rookie forms.

"_Poromon digivolve to….Hawkmon!"_

"_Upamon digivolve to…Armadillomon!"_

Even Gatomon and Patamon could stand on their own feet, and everyone continued to stare at Magnamon as he floated in the center of the chambers.

"I wonder if Hawkmon can Golden Armor Digivolve." Yolei said.

"I don't get it." Cody breathed. "Where'd he come from?"

"It came from that golden Digi-Egg." T.K. replied. "Davis must've unleashed its power."

"This is fantastic." Kari said. "Can somebody turn off his headlights?"

Rika smiled in awe, but then tensed up with a soft gasp. _I feel a dark energy approaching….something big and fast! _"Uh, Davis? I think we have a problem coming."

Before Davis could ask what she meant, a loud crash echoed throughout the base. Upon hearing this, the Digimon Emperor smirked and rose to his feet. _Now that's more like it. _"Hey Digi-fools!" he shouted. "Do you honestly think your new Digimon can beat me? He couldn't even beat my flashlight."

"Oh yeah?" Davis snapped. "Well sticks and stones can break my bones but when Magnamon gets a hold of you, he'll kick your butt!"

"That is one of the worst comebacks I ever heard of." Rika groaned, face palming.

"You didn't let me finish!" the Digimon Emperor teased. "He would make a good nightlight."

Another crash rang out. "What was that?" Kari gasped.

"It can't be good." T.K. gulped.

Magnamon's light finally died down, as though he just realized the source of the crash. He looked down at another crashing sound and Kimeramon suddenly burst into the room with a roar.

"Kimeramon!" the Digimon Emperor cheered. The monster of a Digimon shot up towards Magnamon with the clear intent of ramming the smaller Digimon.

"Watch out!" Davis called. Magnamon suddenly noticed Kimeramon's path of flight would not only hit him but also destroy the platform Rika and Davis stood on. Thinking quickly, he landed and shot forward, wrapping the two kids in a protective embrace and tackling them aside. Kimeramon burst through the metal they once stood on.

"Wormmon!" Rika cried when Magnamon set them down. But the green insect Digimon only waved from the safety of the engine room's remains.

"Davis, Rika." Magnamon stood and glared at Kimeramon. "I'll take care of this."

"Go get 'em Magnamon." Davis encouraged. "Show him he's no match for you." He and Rika turned and ran off. "But just in case he is I'll get the others!"

"You can do it, Magnamon!" Rika gave one last encouraging shout before she and Davis disappeared around the corner.

"_Silk Thread!"_ Wormmon sent out the sticky thread from his mouth and swung over to the Digimon Emperor. "I don't mean to drop in like this but Kimeramon is tearing the place apart!"

The boy emperor looked down at the insect. "Nonsense! He's simply following my orders to attack!"

"But Kimeramon's not following anyone's orders but his own!" Wormmon protested. "Can't you see that?"

"My greatest creation won't let me down." The Digimon Emperor assured.

* * *

The DigiDestined all panted as they hurried up some stairs, searching for the fastest way out.

"Guys, wait!" Davis shouted.

"Hold up!" Rika echoed.

"Run Davis!" T.K. shouted. "Rika!"

Davis and Rika hurried, but Kimeramon's elbow suddenly burst through the wall and the shaking knocked them to the ground.

"We don't have that much time." Gatomon warned. "We have to ditch this place before it takes a nosedive."

"Sure would be nice to catch the Digimon Emperor while we're here." Armadillomon noted.

"Right, let's go get him!" Davis urged.

"Are you crazy?" Rika suddenly yelped when Kimeramon's Heat Viper blast hit the wall again. The floor beneath her feet began to break and slant. She shouted in surprise as she began to fall.

"Rika!" Everyone shouted. Davis dove for her, but missed her hand by inches.

Rika fell out into open air and grunted when she hit Kimeramon's head. She gripped the horn on top of his head tightly. "Oh great, this again!"

"_Heat Viper!"_ Kimeramon launched his signature attack. While the blast missed Magnamon, it did hit the wall very close to the Digimon Emperor.

"Watch where you're aiming!" he snapped. "Remember who your master is Kimeramon!"

That last comment made the monster Digimon freeze for a moment. Then he floated up to get a full look at the Digimon Emperor. He laughed cruelly, making the boy back up in fear. Kimeramon continued to laugh, ready to launch a fatal blast towards the boy.

"_Magna Kick!"_

Magnamon shot a foot forward, but Kimeramon smacked him aside and into the darkness. "Magnamon!" Rika shouted.

The Digimon Emperor stared in fear. Wormmon grabbed the boy's ankle. "I begged you to listen to me! He's out of control!"

"Get off me!" the Emperor ordered. "You're sliming up my pants!"

"Please, Master, let's leave." Wormmon begged. "He'll destroy you."

The Digimon Emperor stared at Kimeramon, looking appalled and utterly destroyed. "But I'm his creator. I nurtured him from the beginning with evil. He should obey me!"

"You're right Master." Wormmon was beginning to get desperate. "Let's talk about it outside where it's much safer."

The boy monarch became angry again. "I'm not leaving!"

"I understand." Wormmon soothed. "You tried to make Kimeramon yours but I'm your true friend."

The Digimon Emperor pulled out his whip, getting angrier by the second. "Listen you little night crawler. If I had a friend it certainly wouldn't be you."

"Ken!"

The Digimon Emperor spun around and smirked evilly. "Well, if it isn't the DigiDestined. I see you've finally come to your senses and are ready to surrender to me and Kimeramon."

"Fat chance, Ken!" Davis spat. "I think some of your hairspray must've leaked into your brain again!"

"And another thing!" Yolei shouted. "Who said it was okay for you to go and create a Digimon anyway?"

"Yeah, do you think you're Dr. Frankenstein or something?" Cody growled. "Creating a creature just for your own cruel pleasure? Kimeramon is not the monster, Ken. You are!"

The Digimon Emperor growled a little, but T.K. spoke up next, pointing to their Digimon. "Look at them! Are they trying to hurt you? They're not your toys or some kind of a sick game. They're alive! They're not just data in a computer, they're living creatures like you and I!"

The raven-haired boys' eyes widened, his pupils and irises constricting. "Huh?"

"You're DigiDestined too, just like us." Kari said. "You have a responsibility to both worlds. Like Wormmon. He's your friend and not something you should kick around."

The Digimon Emperor looked to Wormmon, who stared at him sadly with those big baby blue eyes of his. "Master….."

Only the boy felt nothing. He could only think about the Digimon he created; the one that seemed so much stronger, so much better, than the puny insect Digimon before him. "There's only one Digimon that's suitable enough for me." He glared hard. "And that's Kimeramon!"

A piercing scream made the DigiDestined jump, and they looked out to the battle between Kimeramon and Magnamon. "Rika!" T.K. called.

"Guys help me!" Rika shouted. "This stopped being fun a long time ago!" Suddenly, Kimeramon launched numerous blasts that sent huge chunks of debris crashing into the bottom of the base, causing large explosions and shaking the entire structure. Based on the continuous shaking and the feeling of vertigo, it was clear the base was making a steep drop towards the ground.

"Don't feel too proud that you destroyed my home base." The Digimon Emperor shouted over the noise. "Because you are going down with it!" He took off running, Wormmon hopping along behind him.

"Wait Ken!" Davis shouted. "We want to help you! Ken, listen to me!"

Kimeramon suddenly threw his head up, forcing Rika to fly into the air with a scream. "Rika hang on!" Kari shouted.

"To what?!" Rika screamed as she fell. But Magnamon shot out from the darkness and caught Rika, darting away as Kimeramon came after them. "Thanks Magnamon."

"No problem." Magnamon assured as he dodged Kimeramon's blows. "Now let's get out of here!"

The ground shook violently again, making the DigiDestined yelp and shout in terror. "Pardon me, but it is getting a little hot down here!" Hawkmon whimpered.

"Right." Yolei nodded. "But do you guys have enough energy to Digivolve?"

"Yes!" Hawkmon said hurriedly. "Now let's leave before I'm a fried chicken!"

"The heat is on guys!" Gatomon said. "Ready?"

Patamon nodded, looking determined. "Yeah." Armadillomon agreed.

"Okay let's do it." Kari urged. The other agreed. T.K., Kari, Yolei, and Cody took out their Digivices and their Digimon stood ready, preparing to Digivolve and then get the heck out of there.

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to…..…Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge! I used to say 'the Drill of Power' but I think this makes me sound smarter!"_

"_Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to…..Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to…..Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"_

"_Patamon Armor Digivolve to…..Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"_

Magnamon burst out of the base, keeping Rika close and protected. Kimeramon followed close behind, roaring. Magnamon moved Rika so she hung behind him from his shoulders. _"Magna Blast!"_ Rockets shot from his arms and shoulder pads, exploding when they hit Kimeramon and actually causing him to rear back in pain.

With their Digimon now digivolved, the kids each mounted their Digimon (with Davis riding Pegasusmon) and Digmon launched his drills at the walls to break them out to open air. "Come on, everyone!" Digmon urged. "Follow me!" The other Digimon quickly obeyed.

"I'll follow him!" Pegasusmon called.

"I'll follow you!" Nefertimon darted out.

"I'll follow you!" Halsemon echoed.

"Now that's what I call following orders." Digmon chuckled.

"Geez that was a close one." Davis turned back to the base to see a black shape, most likely another Digimon Ken rode, fly off the base seconds before it crashed into the sand.

"Here! Take Rika!" Magnamon shouted as he swooped by. Kari stopped below Magnamon and let Rika drop down to land on Nefertimon. Then the golden armored Digimon darted off to finish his fight with Kimeramon. From the DigiDestined's view of the fight, Magnamon seemed to be laying down some serious hits. But each time Kimeramon just roared angrily.

"It's no use." Magnamon groaned. "He's too strong. I'm running out of power!" He slumped a little, somehow still able to stay floating in the air. Kimeramon's Skull Greymon hand shot forward and grabbed the smaller Digimon, nearly crushing him in the bony appendage.

"Magnamon!" Davis shouted.

From his viewpoint on the Devidramon he rode, the Digimon Emperor had a perfect view of the fight. He laughed evilly. "That's it! Let him have it Kimeramon!"

Wormmon, standing a few feet away on Devidramon's head, stared worriedly. "You can do it, Magnamon!"

"Silence!" the crack of a whip rang out, and Wormmon felt a sting where it hit on his head.

_He finally struck me. He usually only used hurtful words but this time he put all his hate into a single strike. _He turned to his master. _That's it. I just can't sit by and watch anymore. _"I hope you're finally proud of yourself." The Digimon Emperor growled, but Wormmon continued as tears flowed down his cheeks. "You've officially become worse than the monsters you created. Whatever happened to that sweet kid I met a long time ago who had a dream to take over the Digital World? Okay sure it was a sick and twisted dream but still we had a lot of laughs together. What happened to the boy I was proud to call 'Master'? Of course you made me call you that." _Maybe I'm not so good at motivational speeches._

Meanwhile, Kimeramon continued to squeeze Magnamon in his fist. The dragon Digimon groaned in pain. "Take it easy! I'm not a melon!"

"What are we going to do?" Yolei whimpered. "We have to stop him!"

"How?" Rika demanded. "I tried stabbing my sword into his skull but I hardly left a scratch!"

"We better think of something or he'll destroy Magnamon!" Davis urged.

Wormmon knew what he was about to do may hurt Ken more than help him, but he knew it was necessary. "You've changed Ken, but it's not too late for you. For some reason you started capturing Digimon and you turned them into your slaves instead of your friends. I didn't agree but I stuck by your side because I was _your _Digimon. And then…..you started being cruel to _me…_….the one who knows the true you. The others may know and fear you as the Digimon Emperor, but never forget that I know the real you."

The Digimon Emperor gasped softly when Wormmon began glowing. _What's going on?_

Magnamon felt a new energy coursing through him, and he too began to glow. "What's happening?"

"I'll always think of you for your kindness, Ken." Wormmon promised. "No matter what happens. One day I hope you'll realize the real Ken isn't the Digimon Emperor but the Ken that's my friend." He suddenly glowed brighter, making the boy before him jump. "And only a real friend would do this." Wormmon suddenly shot forward and slammed into the Digimon Emperor's chest, knocking him off the Devidramon and into the sand. Wormmon directed the large flying Digimon towards Kimeramon, colliding with the monster and forcing him to let Magnamon go.

Magnamon flew a short distance away, still glowing. "Wormmon. What are you doing?"

"Magnamon! It's up to you now!" Wormmon shouted. Kimeramon suddenly swiped at the Devidramon, who flew away quickly. Wormmon received the next blow, flying off towards the sand dunes.

"Wormmon!" Magnamon shouted.

"Please Magnamon!" Wormmon pleaded as he fell. "Save Ken for me! Here's what little energy I have left; use it!" A bright golden light shot from Wormmon to Magnamon, who felt immense power coursing through him.

"Wormmon's power…..has reenergized me." he breathed. _Thank you Wormmon. _He turned to face Kimeramon advancing towards him. _Say goodnight you ugly beast. "Magna Explosion!"_

Everyone shielded their eyes as Magnamon became shrouded in a ball of light. They watched, mesmerized, as the ball of light grew and shredded through Kimeramon. When the light cleared and the dust settled, the Frankenstein of a Digimon finally disappeared and the kids cheered for their friend.

Davis rushed forward as Magnamon dedigivolved back to DemiVeemon and slumped to the ground, exhausted. "Are you okay?" Davis asked worriedly as he scooped up his friend in his arms.

DemiVeemon smiled at his partner. "Hey."

Davis smiled and pulled his Digimon into a hug. "You were awesome!"

Rika appeared, kneeling beside Davis and smiling. "Thanks for saving me, DemiVeemon. You're pretty cool."

"Thanks Rika." DemiVeemon said tiredly. "I'm glad you're okay."

Davis looked down and noticed something pink in the sand. "Wait a second. Did someone lose their keys?" He reached down and pulled it out, revealing what looked like a large, pink SD card with a strange symbol on it.

Rika stared at the thing in Davis's hand. _That's not….it can't be…_

"Hey guys." T.K. came up to them. "We have one more problem to work out."

* * *

The Digimon Emperor stayed kneeling on the ground, clutching sand in his hands. A range of emotions waged war in his chest: hurt, shame, anger, sorrow, and more. In a matter of minutes he lost everything that made him the ruler of this world. All because of some stupid DigiDestined.

"I lost…I'm a failure…..this isn't what was supposed to happen…" He trembled with rage. "I was flawless. My plans were supposed to work out perfectly. How'd it happen?! You must've cheated somehow! That's the only possible explanation!" He could feel his mind slipping to madness, but he didn't care. "I only have one choice left and that's to cheat myself; I'll start over! I'll just have to reset the Digital World!"

By then, the DigiDestined kids and Rika appeared behind the boy emperor to hear what he said. "Reset the Digital World?" T.K. repeated. "What are you talking about, Ken?"

"It's simple." The Digimon Emperor spat. "I'll just go home and delete all the Digital World data off my computer and create a new program. That way I can start a new Digital World that doesn't cheat!"

Davis stepped up. "Dude, you can't be serious."

"The Digital World is a completely real place, Ken!" Yolei insisted. "It's not just something that's programmed into your computer."

"We tried to tell you that before." T.K. continued. "But you thought we were trying to play some kind of trick on you."

The Digimon Emperor suddenly froze up. _I did think that…..but then if they were why would they bring it up instead of continuing to trick me?_

"This isn't some kind of a video game." Cody scolded. "Ken, Digimon are real and it's about time you realized what you've been doing!"

The Emperor spun around to stare at them. "What?" _Real? Digimon are real? As in flesh and blood like humans?_

"_They're like human babies." Wormmon said._

"You've been hurting innocent creatures, Ken." Kari said.

Staring at those creatures Kari referred to, the Digimon Emperor couldn't help but flashback to when he saw those In-Training level Digimon at the soccer game. "Your Digimon were all at the soccer game in the real world. I remember now." In fact, it was as though a dam broke in the Emperor's mind and all those memories of what he'd done came flooding back. Add that to what these kids just told him, the full blow of realization hit him hard. "You _are _real. Not just computer data. I can't believe I never figured that out."

"You know for an evil genius you really are a slow learner, Ken." DemiVeemon noted.

"DemiVeemon!" Rika scolded.

"And you've been constantly abusing Digimon ever since you claimed to be the Digimon Emperor." Davis added.

The raven-haired boy's eyes widened. "I had no idea. What have I done?" The pain and guilt crashed down onto him, threatening to crush the poor boy with his deeds of wrongdoing. "I thought my Dark Rings were a stroke of genius. I never realized I was causing pain. I made them work for me tirelessly without ever giving them a break. And I was cruel to them beyond imagination!" He clutched his hair, his eyes now wild. He let out a strangled scream. "I'm a monster! I can't believe what I've done!"

"It's hard to argue with you there, Ken." T.K. admitted. "You've done some pretty horrible stuff."

"I don't think that's helping." Rika warned, sensing a full mental breakdown from the boy before them.

"The important thing is that you've realized what you've done and it's not too late to make a fresh start." Kari said encouragingly.

Kari's words were sincere, but per Rika's prediction the Digimon Emperor gave another shout of despair. "What have I done?!" He tore off his gloves, cape and goggles, tossing them aside. The clothing disintegrated into nothing like a dying Digimon. The raven-haired boy let out heart-wrenching sobs. He stood and wobbled as he walked, still clutching his hair. He screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, and his hair and formal clothes disintegrated to a smooth haircut and a schoolboy's uniform.

The Digimon Emperor was no more and Ken Ichijōji finally returned.

He continued to cry, his tears dripping down to the sand. Then, Kari gasped and cried "Wormmon!" Ken looked up to see the kids and Digimon gathered around a familiar green caterpillar. "Wormmon?"

The weak Digimon could only lie in the sand, a look of pain clear on his face. "He's still breathing." Gatomon realized. She wouldn't say that it wasn't for long; she knew Wormmon pretty much gave his life to Magnamon so he could defeat Kimeramon and there was no way the insect Digimon would survive.

Ken numbly approached his Digimon partner. Wormmon opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of the boy he loved and not the emperor he feared. "You've returned to your old self. I knew you could do it Ken."

"I'm sorry…." Ken trembled as he spoke. "It's too late for me."

"It's never too late to be sorry." Wormmon assured.

"Wormmon's absolutely right, Ken." Davis assured. He blinked in surprise and opened his fist, staring in awe as the pink object he found from before started glowing. It floated from his palm and straight over to Ken.

"Where'd you get that thing, Davis?" T.K. asked.

"I found it in the sand, why?" Davis shrugged.

"I'm not sure but it looks like one of the Crests we used to have in the old days." T.K. replied.

"You're right, T.K." Kari agreed. "And it has the Crest of Kindness on it."

"But why is it coming to me?" Ken asked, holding out his palms and letting the Crest rest on them.

"Because it belongs to you, Ken." Wormmon said. He grunted in pain. "It's the Crest of Kindness."

Ken stared at the Crest. "There must be some mistake. I've been anything _but _kind."

"That's what Wizardmon meant when he said that kindness would release the Golden Radiance." Gatomon realized. "Ken must be the key to unlocking the power."

"I told you that deep inside you were kind." Wormmon said.

Ken pocketed the Crest and walked up to Wormmon, kneeling beside him and taking the small Digimon into his arms. "Wormmon. I'm sorry. Don't go…..you're my best friend!"

Wormmon smiled, happy to have his little boy back. "You're my best friend too. Goodbye Ken." He sighed, letting the darkness consume him.

Ken stared in shock as Wormmon disintegrated and his data bits disappeared. "Wormmon no!"

The other kids stared sadly. Rika pulled her hat down over her eyes. T.K. sighed. "He's gone, Ken."

Ken stared at his now-empty arms. "He…..can't….be!" He lost his Digimon….just like he lost his elder brother Sam…. "Not again! Wormmon's gone. Just like my brother. I was helpless to save him and now I can't save Wormmon either!" He fell forward, his hand supporting him. Tears poured forth and he gripped fistfuls of sand tightly despite the grains hurting his skin. _"Why do I keep losing people?! _I came to the Digital World to get away from all those feelings but I just can't escape!" He continued to sob, feeling his heart and soul completely destroyed. The others watched sadly, unsure of what to say or do.

Davis suddenly thought of the news story he saw earlier, and how Ken's parents looked absolutely devastated over him missing. He spoke up. "There's still people who love you."

Ken stared at the sand for a moment, not realizing what Davis meant until he thought of his parents. _No…they can't possibly still love me…not after what I did….. _He shakily stood, wobbling a little as he walked away. "I gotta go."

The kids watched sadly, upset that their recent victory cost them so much. Davis didn't seem to accept Ken's leaving. "Don't walk away from your problems! Let us help you, Ken!"

Ken didn't listen. He continued to sob as he disappeared over the other side of a sand dune.

"You're DigiDestined!" Davis shouted. "Join us!"

Rika walked up and put a hand on Davis's shoulder. "Let him go, Davis. He needs to work this out on his own."

"I wonder where he's going." Cody said. "I hope he'll be okay."

"I'm going after him." Rika announced.

"Whatever happened to 'he needs to work this out on his own'?" T.K. asked.

"I just want to make sure he's okay." Rika said. "He does have some serious things to sort out but I don't feel comfortable letting him wander about the Digital World on his own, without Wormmon to protect him. I'm just going to make sure he gets home safe."

"What about you?" Kari asked. "Won't your parents get worried?"

"I live here, remember?" Rika said. "I'll see you guys around!" She hurried off before anyone could stop her. The DigiDestined stared after their departing companions.

"That Rika girl sure is strange." Yolei said.

"Yeah, but she has a point." Davis said. "We said we'd stay until the base was destroyed. Let's go home." Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Ken didn't know how long he wandered about or how long he cried. Not that he cared. He would keep crying until he ran out of tears to shed. He lost everything he held dear. He'd give anything to be with Wormmon again. Oh what he'd give to have Sam back, before any of this even happened. To have everything the way it used to be.

"I wanna go home." Ken sniffled. "I wanna get away from here." He suddenly fell to his knees. "I want my Mama and Papa! I want Wormmon to be here! I want my brother to still be alive!" He sobbed loudly, burying his face into his hands. "Wormmon…I'm so sorry….I never meant for this to happen….."

Something began to shine in front of him, and Ken slowly raised his head to stare at the circle of light a few feet away. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he shakily stood and approached the circle. Upon looking inside, he discovered a familiar apartment door with an all-too-familiar name hanging on a simple yet pretty name plate.

"It's my home." Ken breathed. "It's my home!" He suddenly ran forward, jumping into the portal. When he touched down, he found himself standing outside his apartment. The portal seemed to have closed behind him. The Japanese teen stared at the door for a moment before opening it and stepping inside.

"Who's there?" a man called before rounding the corner to check. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw Ken. "K-Ken? Is it you, son?"

"Ken?!" a woman suddenly appeared, and she immediately burst into tears. "Ken it's really you!" She ran forward and pulled Ken into a warm hug, continuing to cry. Ken let her hug him, feeling numb yet somehow a little happy.

_I'm really home. _He thought. _But then why do I feel so lost?_

* * *

A figure lingered unseen in the shadows of the trees, watching Ken disappear and the portal close. "Let me guess; you're not happy with some of the choices I made today."

A light appeared behind the figure, like a glowing ghost that couldn't be identified. "Of course I am. You knew what I wanted and yet you went against me."

The shadow sighed, not looking at the light. "I know. But sometimes when you care about someone you have to go behind their back to do what's best for them."

The light huffed. "I sincerely hope you know what you're doing."

The shadow didn't answer for a while. "We've been together for quite a couple years. One would think you would trust me more."

"I just worry." The light admitted. "You have to remember our situation."

"I know." the shadow assured. "But phase one is complete. Now we just have to keep an eye on our former emperor and see what he does."

"Try and be delicate."

"When am I ever not?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"No, I guess not."

The light laughed good-heartedly. "It's a good thing we've been together so long."

The shadow smirked. "We do make a pretty good team." The light disappeared, and the shadow slipped away and began darting through the trees.

* * *

Even though the DigiDestined kids and Digimon were absolutely exhausted, they could still laugh at Matt's misfortune: the poor boy was stuck taking Davis's sister Jun back home on the bus. No amount of pleading on the older blonde's part could get him out of it, even when he offered his little brother his college money. The others drove away and left Matt and Jun in the dust. Only Tai, Izzy, and Mr. Ishida could stay awake the entire ride home.

_What a trip. I can't wait to be in my nice warm bed. _Yolei yawned.

_I've never felt more exhausted in all my life. _Cody thought before slipping off to sleep.

_We totally kicked butt. We rock. _Davis snored a little.

_We actually saved everyone. We saved the entire Digital World. _T.K. sighed sleepily.

_Well done, Gatomon. Good job guys. I knew we could do it. _Kari, one of the last to fall asleep, heard the radio broadcast information that perked her interest.

"_And in local news, the missing boy genius Ken Ich__ijōji__ mysterious returned home after being missing for the last several months. Events surrounding his puzzling disappearance and sudden reappearance are still unclear. But his family is thankful to have him home and safe. Good day!"_

_Rika must've gotten Ken home after all. _Kari thought, allowing sleep to consume her. _She really is mysterious. But I think she has good in her; she did help us after all. But questions keep running through my head. Who is she? Why is she in the Digital World? Doesn't she have a family? Is she really our friend? I don't know the answers to these questions yet. But I know we'll discover them soon….I hope…_

* * *

**BTW: the Rika in this story is my original OC and is no way related to the Rika in Digimon Tamers. Just to clarify. Review please!**


	6. Davis Cries Wolfmon

**Episode 22: Davis Cries Wolfmon**

After such a rough time in the Digital World, the DigiDestined were actually glad to go back to school for a couple days. Even though they all knew they needed to return very soon, being stuck in classes for 8 hours made them feel like they were normal kids again with normal, everyday problems. Cody read a story he wrote in class, quickly hushing Upamon when he commented on its depressing elements and tragic ending. Yolei tried to show a simple chemistry experiment to her classmates but it literally blew up in her face, much to the concern of Poromon who watched form the window.

In the gym was another story. Kari and the girls practiced their dancing skills while the boys prepared for a basketball scrimmage. Kari spun around, humming to herself, while remaining light on her feet as she danced. The other girls either tried to mimic her or just watched in awe. Gatomon, Patamon, and DemiVeemon observed everything from the rafters.

"Kari is such a graceful dancer!" Patamon sighed in awe.

"She should be." Gatomon said. "I taught her everything she knows."

"Teach me!" Patamon requested happily.

"Okay!" Gatomon laughed. She and Patamon began dancing on the rafter they stood on, looking almost as graceful as the girls below them.

DemiVeemon huffed, a little bit jealous. "I forgot my dancing shoes."

"You guys are lame! Watch me!" Davis shot his ball and it swished through the basketball hoop. "Nothing but net! Not only am I the best soccer player in school, but I'm the best basketball player too!"

DemiVeemon smiled proudly at his trainer. "Is there anything in the Real World that Davis isn't the best at?"

"Yeah, being modest." Gatomon rolled her eyes.

The basketball game started soon after, and the furious battle began. Kari cheered for T.K., making Davis frown. _Oh I'll show her! _He charged for T.K., who had the ball, but the blonde boy darted around him and straight for the hoop, making a perfect shot and earning his team a point. The girls erupted into cheers. Even Patamon and Gatomon cheered while DemiVeemon just huffed and based the shot on luck.

"Guys we need to learn to pass the ball now let's do it!" Davis called to his team. The game resumed. Unfortunately, even when Davis got the ball he tripped over one of the opposing team members and face planted into the ground. Up in the rafters Patamon and Gatomon burst out laughing while DemiVeemon shouted at them to stop it.

That didn't stop the other girls from laughing at Davis's now-red face. "Come on. I think Davis needs a little more time to practice." Kari encouraged, herding the other girls away to the other side of the gym.

T.K. walked over to Davis. "Hey Davis, do you need a hand?"

Davis looked up at T.K.'s outstretched hand and growled, pushing himself to his feet. "No! I need a team that knows how to pass the ball."

"I think they're starting to learn." T.K. said. It meant to come out as a warning, but when Davis turned around the basketball smashed right into his face. He groaned in pain, biting back a shout. _This really isn't my day._

* * *

Cody ran as fast as his legs would carry him, panting all the while. Upamon sat in his backpack, happy he managed to get out of running to the computer lab.

"Oh, I'm late!" Cody groaned. "I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late!"

"We're late!" Yolei corrected as she joined him. They ran as fast as they could, somehow able to quicken their pace when they heard the bell ring. If they didn't reach the computer lab soon they wouldn't have time to use it before it became the detention room. Luckily, they rounded the corner into the lab within seconds.

"Look who's here!" Davis growled, obviously annoyed.

"Davis is in a bad mood." T.K. shrugged. "Let's hope things are better in the Digital World. He's already had one nasty trip today."

Yolei only "Hmm"-ed before opening the portal. "Is everybody ready?"

"Yeah!" everyone chorused.

Yolei took out her Digivice. "Then let's do it! Digi-port open!"

In a bright flash of light, the kids whisked away to the Digital World, complete with a change in outfits and Upamon, Poromon, and DemiVeemon digivolving to their Rookie Level forms. They touched down in a forest, landing a bit more gracefully than usual. For once, everything seemed so peaceful since the Digimon Emperor's defeat.

"You think Rika will join us?" Davis asked.

"Hey guys!"

"Speak of the Devimon." Armadillomon chuckled.

Rika smile looked warm as the sun overhead, and she jogged excitedly up to the DigiDestined. "What's up, guys?"

"Nothing, what's up with you?" T.K. asked. "Why are you still in your pajamas?"

Rika shrugged. "It's kind of the only outfit I own."

The kids stared briefly before Yolei forced a laugh. "Well, at least it's comfortable."

_Now there's not a doubt in my mind. _T.K. said. _She really does live here. Do her parents live here too or something? And why doesn't she have a Digimon?_

Rika rolled her eyes and laughed. "What're you guys doing back so soon? Didn't you already save the Digital World or something?"

"You know I'm surprised that now with the Digimon Emperor gone, we're still able to come to the Digital World." Cody noted.

"Of course we can still come here." Yolei said. "I don't know about the rest of you but with the Digimon Emperor gone I plan on having some fun in the Digi-sun."

"I highly recommend it." Rika nodded. "There are a lot of great lakes and beaches around here."

"Don't you think we deserve it?" Yolei asked when T.K. and Cody stared at her.

"Well yeah." the boys laughed nervously.

"How about you, Kari?" Yolei asked. "Do you agree with me?"

Kari exchanged looks with Gatomon, but didn't get a chance to answer before Davis cut in. "There'll be plenty of time for rest and relaxation later Yolei. But that's not why we came to the Digital World today."

"I know, I know." Yolei sighed. "We're here to restore the Digital World to the way it was before the Digimon Emperor took over."

"That's right." Davis nodded. "There's a lot of areas that are in pretty bad shape. And we're part of the reason for it. We have to get to work."

"It's really nice of you guys to do that." Rika said. "I'll help out how I can."

"All right, Yolei." Cody said. "Give us the damage report on all the different areas."

Yolei pulled out her D-terminal and opened it up to look at the screen. "Okay. Let me pull it up on the D-terminal. The mountain area's pretty bad. But it looks like the Gotsumon have already started working on it."

"I guess then we'll take it." T.K. offered.

"The Gotsumon rock." Patamon joked.

"Okay, Patamon and T.K. will handle the mountains." Davis declared.

Yolei looked back to her scanner. "Next is the city. Wow that looks in pretty bad shape too. And it looks like the Digimon there are having lunch now."

"Did you hear that, Cody?" Armadillomon said. "You get a free lunch. Let's go!"

"Wait for me!" Cody called as they ran off before anyone could protest.

"Aw man he beat me to it." Davis groaned.

"Let's take a look at the farmlands." Yolei said. "Not bad, but I don't think the Gekomon and Otamamon would mind an extra set of hands or two."

"Okay then we'll take that one!" Davis offered.

"Wait." Kari protested. "I wanted that area."

"Me too." Gatomon said.

"The only fair thing to do is Rock-Paper-Scissors." Davis decided.

"Let's do it." Kari nodded, each kid holding out their fist.

"Just so you know, I was champion in the fourth grade!" Davis boasted. However, when he and Kari put their hands forward again, he chose rock and she chose paper, declaring the latter the winner.

Gatomon and Kari cheered. Rika laughed at Davis and Veemon's despaired looks. "I'll tag along with Kari if that's okay."

"The next area is the lake." Hawkmon said.

Before he could go any further Davis called, "Veemon and I will take that one!" and they all split off to their respective areas to work.

"The only area left is the beach." Yolei said.

"All right it's settled then." Hawkmon said happily. "You and I are headed to the beach!"

And so the kids split off and got to work, helping the Digimon already at their respective areas. T.K. helped the Gotsumon plant some seedlings while Patamon flew around with the watering can. Yolei and Hawkmon started their work by helping the Woodmon and Gizamon haul in overturned boats. Vegiemon put Cody and Armadillomon to work by having them help make lunch in a ginormous pot. Davis and Veemon helped some RedVegiemon by the lake stack logs in a neat pile off to one side. Kari, Gatomon, and Rika worked to get buckets of water and take them to the rice paddies to help start the new crops.

"Gatomon!"

"Kari!"

The girls paused in their work to see T.K. and Patamon hurrying over to them. "What's wrong?" Kari asked.

"Patamon, is a dog chasing you?" Gatomon asked.

"No, listen up!" Patamon said urgently. "T.K. has a theory that I think we should all listen to!"

"What is it?" Kari asked. The Gekomon and Otamamon paused in their work to listen.

"I was thinking about what Cody said about still being able to come to the Digital World." T.K. said.

"Why is that so strange?" Rika shrugged. "Shouldn't you be able to come and go as you please?"

"As DigiDestined, we're really only allowed access to the Digital World when there's a crisis." T.K. explained. "Like Digimon Emperor level crisis."

"I thought that we figured out that we can come here because we're still needed for something, didn't we?" Kari said.

"That's the reason we were able to come the first time." T.K. corrected.

"You're right. There must be a reason this time too." Patamon added, currently resting atop T.K.'s head.

"The reason is plain as the whiskers on my face." Gatomon insisted. "We're here to clean up the mess left by the Digimon Emperor."

"The only problem with that theory is we volunteered for the work." Kari realized. "It's not like we were drafted."

"Exactly." T.K. nodded. "That's the part that's been bothering me. We're not meant to be here as a cleanup crew; there's something else out there that we don't know about yet."

"T.K., you mean…a new enemy?" Kari asked worriedly. The Gekomon and Otamamon gasped worriedly.

"I'm not exactly sure what it is yet but I think we should be prepared for whatever's out there waiting for us." T.K. decided. Kari and Gatomon nodded in agreement.

"Come on, let's tell the others about this theory." Kari urged. "They'll want to hear it." They bid the Gekomon and Otamamon farewell and jogged off to the lake a short distance away.

"Maybe you guys are just a little riled up from your recent fight." Rika suggested. "I've been running into some problems myself but it seems like you only need to worry about the Digimon still controlled by the Dark Rings."

"Uh oh." Patamon groaned.

"See, Patamon agrees with me." Rika said.

"No, look." Patamon flew up a little ways. "Everybody's gone." Everyone stopped as they reached the small lake beach and realized Patamon was right.

"That's really strange." Kari said. "They were all here just a minute ago."

"Okay! If you're hiding we give up! You can come out now!" Patamon called, flying a little ways over the lake. "Olly olly oxen free!"

"Well it looks like they finished their work." Rika said. "Maybe they went to the city to get some lunch."

"I'm not so sure." Gatomon said.

"Davis!" T.K. cupped his hands over his mouth. "Veemon!"

"Oh let them be." Gatomon sighed. "I'm sure they're just fooling around again."

"I think we should at least _try _to look for them." Kari said. "You know how Davis is; he's bound to get into trouble somehow."

"I think you should take some time to relax a little bit." Rika sat down and laid back in the sand, setting her violin case and hat down beside her.

"I'm with Rika." Gatomon agreed, curling up in a ball beside the raven-haired girl.

"Are you sure?" Kari asked worriedly.

"You worry too much, Kari." Gatomon sighed, soaking up the warmth of the sun.

"It would be nice to just sit down and relax." T.K. admitted. "The DigiWorld hasn't been this peaceful for a while."

Kari finally smiled. "You're right. Let's do it." Patamon cheered and did a few aerial flips before settling down beside T.K. The blonde boy and his brunette friend laid down beside Rika, staring up at the sky. They all took a deep breath, feeling as though a great weight flew off their shoulders. While they knew they needed to be careful and keep an eye out for danger, none of them could deny that relaxing felt very nice.

After several minutes of silence, a new sound took its place. Gatomon's ears perked up and she raised her head to look at Rika. The girl sat up straight, legs crossed, and held a very strange wooden object with strings in her hand. One end of the object rested on her shoulder and another slender piece of wood ran across the strings, making the strange but wonderful sound.

"Wow." Gatomon breathed, walking up to Rika. "What is that?"

"This is called a violin." Rika said, stopping her playing to show Gatomon the instrument. "See, the strings on this stick, called a bow, run across the strings on the violin. By pressing down strings and running the bow a certain way, you make notes."

"Whoa." Gatomon breathed. "Can I try?"

"Sure." Rika nodded. "Just be careful; it's hard to replace those strings."

T.K. and Kari sat up to watch Rika place the violin properly in Gatomon's hand and shoulder. Gatomon took the bow and tried to finger the violin neck like Rika did. However, when she tried to play it didn't sound nearly as pretty as Rika's music. Gatomon blushed fiercely while the others chuckled good-heartedly.

"I'm sorry." Gatomon said.

"Don't be." Rika assured, taking the instrument back. "The violin is kind of hard to play. It takes some practice, but when you put forth the effort and practice it can sound like this." She began to play again, the notes brisk and bright. Gatomon, Patamon, T.K., and Kari couldn't help but bob their heads and smile. When Rika finished her brief performance, they clapped for her. Rika bowed teasingly, putting her violin back in its case.

"You're really good with that violin." T.K. complimented.

"Thank you." Rika nodded. "I can play a lot of other instruments too: flute, piano, drums, and more!"

"Wow!" Patamon breathed. "Where did you learn to play all those things?"

"My family was very music and art oriented." Rika said. "I was pretty much required to learn all these things. But I love it all." She stared off in the distance, almost longingly. "Every night we'd come together as a family to play a song and sing together: me, my mom, my dad, my grandma and grandpa, and even my brother with a little encouraging. We'd choose a song, get out the proper instruments, and sing together." She sighed softly. "Those are some of the best memories I have."

Kari, T.K., Patamon, and Gatomon stared for a moment. "Rika?" Kari piped up. "Why do you live in the Digital World? Does your family live here with you? Or are you really all alone out here?"

Rika looked down, placing her Wizardmon hat back on her head. She didn't answer.

"Did you run away from home like Ken did?" T.K. asked. "Don't you think your parents are worried about you?"

Rika smiled softly. "They know I'm okay."

Before another question could be asked, the sound of a small stampede echoed out. The kids and their Digimon turned to see the RedVegiemon and Numemon hurrying towards them. They met the fleeing Digimon halfway.

"Hey what's going on?" Kari asked.

"Where are Davis and Veemon?" Patamon asked.

The Numemon and RedVegiemon couldn't answer at first because they were so out of breath, but once they sat down and rested for a bit they could tell the story of how Davis asked them to dress up in a monster costume and "attack" him so Veemon would digivolve.

"You have _got _to be kidding me." Rika sighed, slinging her violin case back over her shoulder.

"Let me get this straight." T.K. groaned. "Davis is trying to trick Veemon so he'll digivolve to the Champion level?"

"Why does he always have some hair-brained scheme he's trying to pull off?" Kari groaned. They jumped at Davis's and Veemon's familiar shouts of terror and turned to see the two DigiDestined come running up. "What's the matter, Davis?"

"Veemon!" Gatomon seemed worried. She could tell when those two were joking and when something serious happened.

Davis and Veemon panted as they stopped. "You guys look like you've seen a monster." T.K. joked lightly. A loud roar made them all jump, and they looked back to see a sandy-colored turtle Digimon charging at them. Only this turtle Digimon looked the size of a small truck.

"Whoa a Tortomon!" Rika realized. "Haven't seen one of those in a while!"

"He's trying to kill us!" Davis quickly explained what happened.

"So you think that this Digimon is mad at you because he thinks you threw a boulder at him?" T.K. summarized. Davis and Veemon nodded.

"Why don't you guys just explain the situation to him?" Kari suggested.

"Start with Davis's lame plan." Gatomon said.

"And finish by saying you're sorry." Patamon finished.

"We tried that already." Veemon said.

"Of course if Veemon would digivolve to the Champion level in the first place none of this would've happened." Davis gave his Digimon an irritated glare.

"Again with the Digivolving thing?" Veemon groaned.

Another loud roar made them all jump, and they quickly realized Tortomon gained quite a bit of ground while they talked. "Duck and cover!" Rika shouted. Davis and Veemon took off running again while everyone else ducked behind the log pile. The RedVegiemon and Numemon ran off screaming while also thanking the kids numerously for their help. Tortomon stomped by, still chasing Davis and Veemon. When the coast became clear, T.K., Kari, Gatomon, Patamon, and Rika came out to stare after them.

"Have you ever noticed that Davis _always _gets himself into these things?" T.K. noted.

"Should we help them?" Kari asked.

"Nah." T.K. shrugged.

"But how do we know they'll be okay?" Kari asked.

"Somehow, Davis always lands on his feet." Gatomon assured.

"Besides, I don't think Tortomon is really that angry with them anyway." Patamon noted.

"They just have to keep running." Rika said. "Eventually Tortomon will get tired."

"How long will that be?" Gatomon asked.

Rika laughed. "Not sure; the Tortomon have quite a bit of stamina."

"How do you know?" Kari asked.

"I've dealt with a Tortomon or two in my time." Rika said. "They may be hard heads, but inside they're real softies. Davis and Veemon will be fine."

"How long have you lived in the Digital World anyway?" T.K. asked.

Rika's smile shrunk a little. "A while."

"How long's 'a while'?" Kari asked.

"Have we begun a game of 20 Questions or something?" Rika asked, her smile now replaced with a frown.

"Rika, please try to understand." Kari said soothingly. "We're the DigiDestined. We have to keep the Digital World safe from immense dangers. We're not saying you're an enemy, but if you want our trust you're going to have to earn it by answering some of our questions and being more open to us."

Rika looked to Kari, her gaze softening. "I know. It's just that my past is a sensitive subject and I don't like to talk about it."

"Can we still ask you some questions?" T.K. asked.

Rika sighed. "I will answer what I can. All I ask is you respect the decision I make if I choose to not answer a question or two."

* * *

Over in the city, Cody and the Gazimon took a break from working so the former could teach them some basic kendo using sticks lying around. He started showing them a basic strike. "Ready, one! And two! And three! And four!"

"Cody!"

Davis's distressed cry made Cody pause and turn to see his friend charging up the path towards them. "Hey Davis, what's the big hurry?"

Davis and Veemon quickly hid behind the smaller boy. "We need help!"

Cody's protective instincts kicked into gear and he prepared to use the stick in his hands as a makeshift shinai. But when he saw the monstrous Digimon charging towards them, the Gazimon ran away to hide while Armadillomon curled up and covered his head with his front feet. Cody yelped. "I just remembered I've got to study for a big math test next Monday. See ya!" He tossed his stick at the Tortomon and ran off to hide with the Gazimon. Davis and Veemon resumed their fleeing, the Tortomon roaring and shouting as he continued to chase them.

Cody peeked his head out from the cylinder he hid in. "Boy, Davis sure has some strange ideas about how to have fun."

"You can say that again." Armadillomon agreed.

* * *

Over at the beach, Yolei and Hawkmon finished their work and decided to take a break and see if there were other areas they could help out with. While Hawkmon took a drink break Yolei took out her D-terminal to check the map. But then an email popped up from Cody.

"'If Davis comes your way, take cover.'" She read. "'He's got a small problem.' What do you think _that _means?"

"Hawkmon, Yolei!" Veemon's voice shouted. "Help!"

"Cody sent me an email and said you had a small problem!" Yolei called back.

Hawkmon flew up a few feet to get a better look. First he noticed Davis and Veemon running through the shallow waters. Then he saw the monstrous Digimon chasing them. "I would not call that small." Hawkmon gulped.

"Yolei!" Davis shouted in terror. "Quick! Do something please!"

"Yeah! Help us!" Veemon pleaded. "Hurry!"

"While you guys are running around playing games, some of us are working. Now—" As Yolei scolded them, she suddenly realized what chased her friends and she yelped in shock. She and Hawkmon dived into a nearby boat to hide, but Tortomon's furious splashing doused them in water. They stared after their fleeing friends and the Digimon chasing them, the two of them now soaking wet.

Meanwhile, Davis and Veemon continued to run up a rocky trail, hoping the uphill climb would make Tortomon tired faster. But nothing seemed to work.

"Davis, please tell me this is just another trick!" Veemon shouted.

"You think I'm smart enough to think up something like this?" Davis snapped.

"Good point!" Veemon shouted as they continued running.

_How could I be so stupid? _Davis mentally groaned. _I never should've put myself or Veemon in danger like that! I just wanted Kari to notice me! I wanted Veemon to get stronger! But that's not worth putting my friend in danger!_

Suddenly, the two of them skidded to a halt when the ground gave out to a cliff drop. Only rocks and the shallows of some water could cushion their fall. "This is the end of the line, pal." Davis groaned. They spun around to Tortomon, who panted heavily and glared fiercely.

Davis and Veemon hugged each other. "He's got bad breath!" They groaned. "Goodbye old friend!"

Tortomon opened his mouth wide, preparing to snap them up and eat them for dinner.

"Hold on!" Davis cried. "Tortomon, let me say just one thing!" Tortomon paused, then looked down to Davis as though to say "Well, what?" "I have one final request!" Davis said.

"What are you doing, Davis?" Veemon hissed.

"Shut up and get down here!" Davis snapped, kneeling and bowing low to the ground. Veemon copied him. "I've always considered myself a very clean person."

"Oh really?" Veemon huffed. "It's a good thing he's never seen your room!"

Davis ignored his Digimon. "Before you destroy us could you do me a big favor?"

"What?" Veemon looked up in confusion.

"Would you mind washing your hands?" Davis asked as politely as he could.

"Huh?" Veemon gasped. Tortomon had a similar reaction, staring at his front paws.

"I don't wanna get any bad germs or anything." Davis said.

"I wouldn't be worried about germs right now!" Veemon hissed.

"If you've got a better idea I'd be glad to hear it right about now!" Davis hissed back.

_He's got a point there. _Veemon reasoned. "Uh, Davis is right! Germs can be very dangerous! Especially when—" Tortomon's angry roar interrupted them. "I don't think he's buying the whole germ theory."

Suddenly Tortomon smashed a paw down to crush them, but the two of them each jumped separate ways to dodge it. Tortomon lunged for Davis, attempting to smash the boy under his paw. At the sight of this, Veemon felt anger flare up in his chest. _Nobody hurts Davis! He's my best friend and as his Digimon I won't let anything happen to him! _

Veemon jumped towards Tortomon. "V Head—oof!" Veemon's head butt would've worked perfectly if Tortomon hadn't flicked his tail and sent him sprawling across the ground.

Davis skidded to a halt and spun around to stare in shock. "Veemon!"

"Why do I have a headache?" Veemon groaned.

Now anger flared up in Davis's chest. _Nobody hurts Veemon! He's my best friend and I'm not going to let anything happen to him! I was chosen to be his partner and I'm not going to let him down! _Davis pulled out his D3. "Teach this guy a lesson, Veemon!" He didn't know if Veemon would actually digivolve, but suddenly the screen on his Digivice began to glow. Veemon felt new power surging within him, and he stood up ready to fight. A golden light enveloped him.

"_Veemon digivolve to…..ExVeemon!"_

When the light died, Veemon looked as though he grew and developed into an adult dragon, complete with white wings, a longer nose horn/blade, and a V on his chest with two hashes to make it also an X.

"You did it, Veemon!" Davis cheered. "You reached the Champion level!"

"I feel like a new mon!" ExVeemon cheered. "Davis, wait'll you see my V Laser attack! It'll make my V Head Butt feel like a tap on the shoulder!"

With his new strength, ExVeemon could finally match Tortomon and they collided in battle. Tortomon threw his head around and tossed ExVeemon aside, stomping on his stomach. _"XV-kick!"_ ExVeemon landed a perfect kick to Tortomon's head and sent him flying backwards. ExVeemon grabbed Tortomon's tail and swung him around and around before finally letting go and sending him flying to the ground.

Tortomon turned and his carapace began to glow. _"Storm Carapace!"_ Shards of his rock carapace began to shoot out at ExVeemon, who expertly deflected every one. Tortomon charged again, roaring. ExVeemon jumped and kicked him again, forcing Tortomon to the ground.

"_V Laser!"_ ExVeemon sent an X-shaped blast from the mark on his chest and stomach, sending Tortomon flying over the edge of the cliff. The turtle Digimon retreated into his shell as he flew off the cliff and crashed to the rocks below.

"Tortomon has got to learn to come out of his shell!" Davis boasted. He and ExVeemon jumped at the familiar roar and ran to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, they noticed Tortomon's shell spinning very fast.

"Spinning attack!" Tortomon shouted. He finally emerged from his shell and roared. Davis and ExVeemon yelped and covered their eyes in terror.

"I can't watch!" Davis whimpered. He paused. "Do I hear splashing?" They looked down to see Tortomon rubbing his hands in the shallows of the lake below, laughing as though he just heard a great joke. "What do you know? The big lug washed his hands after all. That's a good habit to get into." ExVeemon nodded in agreement. They laughed along with Tortomon as the large turtle walked off, clearly holding no grudge against them for what happened.

* * *

The other DigiDestined and Rika jumped at the loud, almost explosion-like sound. "Well I guess this means Davis and Veemon either beat Tortomon or they got pounded into dust."

"Those dorks are really going to get themselves into serious trouble one of these days." Yolei sighed.

Rika smiled, but it soon disappeared when she saw the rosy and purple sky. "It's getting dark." She suddenly stood up. "I gotta go."

T.K. stood quickly. "But we still have more questions."

"Maybe another time." Rika said, starting to walk away. "But you don't want to see me when the sun goes down."

T.K. suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Rika, you've hardly answered any of our questions. We want to trust you and be your friends, but how do we know we can trust you if you won't tell us who you are?"

Rika stared at T.K. with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, T.K. I'm really sorry. But my past is complicated and, on a more important note, very depressing. It's not something I can go in-depth with right now."

"Then tell us why you live here in the Digital World." Kari pleaded. "Why don't you go home to your parents in the Real World?"

Rika looked down, and T.K. could feel her shaking. She started pulling away, seeming more and more desperate to leave. "Please understand. I'm…..not a normal kid. DigiWorld _is _my home…going back to the Real World just isn't an option for me." She shoved T.K. off and ran away, disappearing into the trees. The others stared after her, some sad and some even more confused.

"I know we should feel wary about her," Yolei said. "But I actually feel kind of sorry for her."

"Maybe we're approaching her the wrong way." Kari said. "Maybe she doesn't _have _a home in the Real World."

"Or she ran away." Yolei suggested. She turned and noticed two figures approaching. "On a more positive note, look who's coming." Everyone turned to see what looked like an older version of Veemon.

"Hey guys!" Davis called.

"So this is what it feels like to be Champion!" ExVeemon said.

"Kind of like a great boxer, huh?" Davis laughed. "Only with all your teeth. Everybody, I'd like you to meet ExVeemon, Champion Digimon Extraordinaire!"

"I've always been fond of Veemon and I'm sure I'll like you as well!" Cody smiled.

"Now our cleanup of the Digital World will go a lot faster!" Yolei added. "Let's put them to work!"

"All right!" Everyone but Davis and ExVeemon agreed. The former fell off his Digimon's shoulder and hit the ground, groaning at the very thought of doing work. Everyone else just laughed at him, confusing the poor boy as to whether or not they were serious.

"What are you laughing at, ExVeemon? Just because you're a Champion now doesn't mean you know how to dance yet." Davis snapped. He looked around to see the Woodmon, Gazimon, RedVegiemon, and Numemon gathered seemingly to join in the laughter. Then he noticed something. "Hey, where's Rika?"

"She ran off into the forest." Hawkmon said. "Something about not wanting us to see her when the sun goes down."

"That's weird." Davis said. "Were you able to find out much more about her?"

"We couldn't get much out of her." T.K. admitted. "She avoided almost all of our questions."

"What _did _you get?" ExVeemon asked.

"She's lived in the Digital World for a couple years." Kari said. "Her parents know where she is, so they're not worried about her. That being said, we also don't know if her parents live here or in the Real World. She adamantly refuses to go back to the Real World."

"That's not much to go on." Davis noted. "In fact, that's not really anything to go on."

"So what do we do about it?" Cody asked.

"We could follow her and see what we find out." One of the Gazimon offered. "She's actually well-known throughout most of the Digital World. So far she hasn't been seen as a threat, but we're all a little nervous about her."

"Why's that?" Armadillomon asked.

"For one thing, she talks to herself an awful lot." One of the Woodmon said.

"Yeah, she's always talking as though someone's standing right next to her." One of the RedVegiemon said. "But there's never anyone there. It's pretty spooky."

"Okay, I think it's safe to say Rika's more than a little strange." Yolei said.

"Then we'll have to find out more about her." T.K. said. "I say when we finish the cleanup job tomorrow we'll start doing some research."

"You think we'll find much?" Gatomon asked. "What if we don't find _anything_?"

"Then we'll have to keep asking her those questions." T.K. said. "We don't have any other choice if we want to know more about her."

Everyone exchanged somewhat worried looks, unsure of what they were getting into by investigating on this girl. Each DigiDestined child and Digimon held mixed feelings about Rika, yet none of them could deny that they needed to know more about her.

As they finished their work that evening, no one noticed a pair of eyes watching them from the shadows, nor the tears that escaped from those eyes and hit the ground.


	7. Genesis of Evil

**A/N: Very long chapter alert (21 typed pages) but this is a crucial chapter so you don't want to miss it!**

**Also, quick question of opinion: when introducing new Digimon like the Digimon Analyzer does in the series, should I just include the description as part of the dialogue or include a little section to describe the new Digimon? I've seen both in the Digimon Fanfiction stories and wanted a second opinion before I change anything.**

* * *

**E****pisode 23: Genesis of Evil**

Mrs. Ichijōji didn't know if she should, but she desperately wanted her son to wake up or at least show he was okay. Taking a deep breath, she approached the boy's bed and stared at his seemingly peaceful face. "Ken, honey? It's Mom. I just want you to know that Dad and I are right outside your room. We're not going anywhere so when you wake up, we'll be here." She received no response, per the norm, so she sighed and exited the room.

Mr. Ichijōji noticed his wife's forlorn face. "Well? Is he awake yet?"

Mrs. Ichijōji shook her head sadly, sitting beside her husband. "But I know he'll wake up. He just needs a little more rest."

Mr. Ichijōji stared at his wife for a moment before smiling softly and taking her hand. He knew she was worried sick; so was he. But for now, they needed to let Ken do what he needed to do. Who knows what kind of trauma he went through while he was gone? "Don't worry. He's strong. Just like his mother." Mrs. Ichijōji didn't answer, but she looked a little less worried than she did before.

Back in his bedroom, Ken lay on his back with his comforter pulled up to his chin. His eyes remained closed and his mind stayed in a deep, sleeping trance. He heard everything his mother told him, and he wished he would wake up and let her know he was all right.

_I know I should wake up. _He thought. _But I can't; it's not time yet. Not until I find my heart. It feels like I've lost it. I keep looking for it but I just can't seem to find it. I know once I do, everything will be back to the way it was. Like when I was a little kid. I used to learn everything from my older brother, Sam. I remember the time he taught me to blow bubbles. _

* * *

_Little Ken and Sam stood out on their terrace, the former blowing bubbles up into the sky through the straw Sam cut for him. They two brothers laughed and smiled, continuing to send the bubbles up to the heavens._

"_Good job, Kenny Boy!" Sam clapped for his little brother._

_Ken only smiled as he continued to blow the bubbles._

* * *

_At first I couldn't do it, but he kept encouraging me. Soon I was blowing bubbles bigger than he was. Sam was the real genius in the family. I was so proud of him._

Then came the compliments and the words of praise from everyone in the neighborhood, only to little Ken it felt like the entire world praised and worshipped Sam's name. He would be walking home with his mother from the park and somebody would recognize her and start talking about her genius son, hardly noticing the other adorable little boy holding his mother's hand, like an anchor keeping him rooted to the ground.

"_My cousin has a friend that knows someone that says your little Sam is the smartest boy in school!"_

"_Can I get my picture taken with him?"_

"_I have three daughters I'd like him to meet!"_

"_Has he decided to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon?"_

"_Where can I get his autobiography?"_

"_You and your husband are geniuses to have had him."_

"_Can I get a lock of his hair? I'd like to have him cloned."_

"_Will he sing at my wedding?"_

Ken didn't know if he was more heartbroken or betrayed over the attention his brother got. Either way, it hit home hard.

_Those kinds of comments went straight to my mom's head._

* * *

_Once they reached home, Mrs. Ichijōji let go of Ken's hand to approach Sam, who came out to welcome them back. Little Ken watched helplessly as his anchor walked away, leaving him to drown while his brother was risen._

"_Oh Sam!" Mrs. Ichijōji gushed a little as she came to her eldest son._

"_Mama….." little Ken murmured._

_Mrs. Ichijōji didn't seem to hear. "All the neighbors came up to me again and said what a wonderful boy you are! One of them even asked me for an autograph! Can you believe it?" She turned to her youngest son. "Oh Ken, I'm sorry. Did you say something?"_

_Either from shyness or feeling hurt, Ken just said "Never mind Mama. It's not important."_

_But as he watched Sam and his parents talk so happily about his brother's accomplishments and his praise, Ken felt like something died in him._

Mom and Dad are always paying more attention to Sam than to me. _Little Ken thought. _I know they love him more because he's smarter than me. I never get either one of them to notice me as long as Sam's around. If only Sam weren't around. Then I would be… _He gasped softly in realization. _That's it. If only Sam weren't here then I'd be the one they love. _He glared hard, a seed of hate planting in his heart. _I wish Sam would just disappear!

_Several days later, Sam and Ken were playing in their room when their computer emitted a bright light, and all of a sudden a sort of yellow comet spurt forth and landed on the floor. When the light died, a small piece of square technology appeared, complete with a little screen, buttons, and a small antenna._

Then one night a Digivice came out of our computer. I figured that it had to be Sam's.

"_Sam what is that?" Little Ken breathed._

"_I'm not sure, Kenny Boy." Sam replied, using his favorite nickname for his little brother. "Maybe the computer blew a fuse or something. Let's take a look." He reached down and took the Digivice, picking it up and staring at it._

"_Be careful it might still be hot!" Ken warned. Sam nodded, but could only stare at the Digivice. He held it to his ear and shook it. "Is there something inside?" Ken asked. Sam shook his head, looking very confused over the device. Ken became a little scared; Sam was someone who knew all the answers, so if he didn't know the answer to something then this could be very serious._

"_I don't know what this thing is but I'm gonna find out." Sam said. "Now, listen to me Kenny Boy, whatever you do don't touch it." Sam walked over and put the device in the drawer of their desk. Then he walked off and out of the room. "Wait here a minute; I'm going to see if I can find something on the other computers. I don't trust myself to use ours right now."_

_Ken nodded and watched his brother leave. But when he tried to read his comic book again he found no interest in it. His gaze kept shifting to the drawer where Sam put the Digivice._

I know Sam told me to wait for a minute. But I couldn't help myself. I felt like I was being drawn to it somehow. Like…something was telling me….that is belonged to me…..I just wanted to look at it. What harm could _that _do?

_Little Ken stared at the device before he smiled and took it from the drawer to look at it better. But when his fingers closed around it, a bright light shot out from the screen. A little scared but unable to let go of the Digivice, Ken began to gasp in surprise. Then, the computer screen shined with a bright light. Ken instinctively held out a hand to shield his eyes, but that hand conveniently held the Digivice. Next thing he knew, Ken was sucked through the computer to who-knows-where._

_It wasn't until about half an hour later did Sam realize the house, especially his room, became suspiciously quiet, so he went to investigate. "Ken, are you still in my room? You better not be touching my stuff." Sam opened the door to find his brother nowhere in sight. Then, a bright light shined from the computer, and Ken came tumbling out. He was giggling like crazy, holding the device they found from before._

"_Wow, cool!" Ken breathed. He couldn't wait to tell Sam and his parents about the Digital World and Wormmon and all the adventures he went on. He only hoped they didn't worry too much; he was gone for an awfully long time._

"_Ken!" Sam snapped._

"_Uh oh." Ken looked up to see an uncharacteristically dark look in his brother's eyes._

"_Just what do you think you're doing?" Sam demanded._

_Ken smiled and held out the Digivice. "I didn't break it!"_

"_I said don't touch it!" Sam growled, smacking the Digivice form Ken's hand. The smaller boy trembled a little, shocked by his brother's sudden violence. "Don't touch my things ever again!" Sam shouted, the hateful glare returning to his eyes._

"_I'm sorry." Ken murmured fearfully._

"_You have to have respect for people's property, Ken." Sam scolded, taking the Digivice and putting it back in the drawer._

"_I will." Ken promised. _

"_It's too late for that." Same snapped. "I already told you once not to go into my drawer and you broke my trust. Now I'll never be able to trust you again."_

"_But I—"_

"_What if you'd gotten hurt? Mom and Dad would be looking to blame someone and it'd be me not you."_

"_I said sorry."_

"_Now get out. I have to study."_

_Ken stared at his brother for a long time, feeling tears building up and running down his cheeks. But he obeyed his brother and left the room, sniffling all the way._

Sam hated me. I wasn't as good a person as he was. But that wasn't enough for him; he had to punish me because of it! He didn't have to hit me! I just wanted to play with his toy! So what if I didn't ask for his permission first? And I couldn't tell Mom and Dad because as far as they were concerned he could do no wrong.

"_Sometimes I wish…." Little Ken growled to himself as he watched Sam and his parents joyfully talk. "…he would just disappear!"_

…_._

_Ken watched in horror as his brother's body flew over his head, his glasses and somehow his shoe knocked clean off._

…_._

And then…he did…..

* * *

_Little Ken approached the picture of his brother, now surrounded by white flowers. Tears flowed freely down the little boy's cheeks._

"_Sam, I didn't mean it." Ken told the picture. "I was just mad when I said I wanted you to disappear." He looked back towards his parents, who looked absolutely distraught. His mother sobbed uncontrollably. _Look how sad I've made my parents. _He thought. _They loved Sam more than anything in the whole world. I know how much the both of you miss Sam. But I'm still here!

_And so time passed, but it did nothing to heal the pain the Ichijōji family felt for their loss. The kids at school started to notice Ken now, but only to apologize for his loss and invite him to talk about it if he wanted. He refused every time. He wanted to forget Sam. But the memories stayed with him like a dark cloud constantly over his head._

Then one day I was playing on Sam's old computer. And I found an email that was addressed to me. I didn't know who would be writing to me. Or how they would know I was on Sam's computer.

'_I'm sorry for the loss of your brother. It must've been hard to take.'_

I was scared, and yet I was compelled to keep reading. It was as if I had been waiting for this letter my whole life.

'_But don't worry. Your brother is in a better place than this world. He is finally at rest. But when his soul became free, yours became trapped. You bear the burden of both his destiny and your own. Now that your parents have lost their hopes for their perfect child, you will be expected to carry out the dreams that Sam can no longer fulfill. This world will become unbearable for you. Pressure to succeed will be too great. But let me tell you about another world that is much more appropriate.'_

"_What does he mean by 'another world'?" Ken wondered aloud._

'_A world where your soul can finally be free. Where you answer to no one but yourself. Open the drawer.'_

"_The drawer!" Ken gasped. By then, he should've stopped reading, maybe to tell his parents or even call the police. Instead, he did as the letter asked and opened the top drawer of the desk, discovering the Digivice Sam left there so long ago._

'_Use Sam's Digivice.'_

"_I'm sorry, Sam." Ken sounded like he truly meant it. He took the Digivice in his hand and it glowed as bright as it did the first time this happened. Once again, he was sucked into the computer. But instead of landing in a forest with Wormmon beside him, he discovered a beach with black sand and dark waters that stretched out to the horizon. _

I'll never forget the first time I saw the Digital World. It was enormous. I stood there all alone in this huge empty world.

"_Where am I?" Ken breathed._

_For some reason, he felt drawn to the black waters and waded in up to his knees. He reached down and submerged the Digivice into the waters, not completely sure why he was doing it. Words and voices echoed all around him, yet he felt no fear. Then, before his eyes the square Digivice changed in shape and design until he held the D3 he would own to the present day._

"_This is…..mine now…." Ken growled, a crazed and evil look in his eyes. "No one can ever take it away from me! Or hide it in a drawer! I control it now." He gave a sinister smile, one he would wear almost constantly when he crowned himself Digimon Emperor in the future._

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Ichijōji stared worriedly as Ken began to moan in his sleep. "I wonder if he's having a bad dream." Mrs. Ichijōji said. She stared at her son for a moment before turning to her husband. "I've been thinking. I was remembering back when Ken was younger. He was about the same age Sam was when we lost him. That was right around the time I first noticed a big change in Ken. Remember? He began to put all of his attention into his studies."

Mr. Ichijōji thought for a moment. "Yeah."

"It was almost as if our Sam had come back to us and I was the happiest mother in the world. But I never stopped to think what effect if might have on Ken." Mrs. Ichijōji stared worriedly. "Do you think it's possible that's the reason he became like this?"

Mr. Ichijōji nodded in understanding. "Maybe Ken didn't want to study so much. Maybe he wanted to spend more time playing. Although I do admit that I kind of enjoyed the idea of being the father of a genius."

"What about Sam?" Mrs. Ichijōji asked. "What if we made the same mistake with Sam? He might've had interests we ignored."

Mr. Ichijōji sighed, realizing she was right. "You're right. It's my fault. I shouldn't have pushed him so hard. I loved the attention so much that I…..I didn't realize what my son really needed the most: the chance to be a normal kid once in a while."

"I hate to say it, but we failed as parents." Mrs. Ichijōji sighed sadly.

"You're right." Mr. Ichijōji admitted. They looked towards their son.

"Ken?" Mrs. Ichijōji pleaded. "Please wake up."

"Ken, please give us another chance to be better parents to you." Mr. Ichijōji requested.

_I can't wake up yet. _Ken thought. _I still haven't found my heart. I'm still trying to get back to that little kid that used to blow bubbles on his terrace._

* * *

I'd stand there for hours, blowing them bigger and bigger each time. Each one was complete emptiness inside. But none of them were as empty inside as I was. Maybe I was trying to show Sam that I could blow bubbles bigger than he could. And that I was better at something than he was. But then again, who was it that taught me to blow the bubbles? Who made the soapy water for me and cut the straws? It wasn't my parents; it was Sam.

_Little Ken bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement as Sam mixed the soapy water to blow bubbles. Both boys held bright smiles on their faces._

"_Ken, it's all set to go." Sam said, handing the cup and straw to his little brother._

"_Thanks Sam." Ken said, taking the cup and beginning to blow bubbles into the air._

"_Thatta boy!" Sam encouraged. "Wow! Great!"_

_Ken smiled as he blew and then handed the cup and straw to his brother. "You try to do it now."_

_Sam seemed nervous, but kept smiling. "Uh, well, I'm not very good at blowing bubbles."_

"_Come on Sam." Ken encouraged. "There's nothing in this world that you can't do."_

"_I can do it okay." Sam admitted. "But my technique isn't quite as good as yours is. Your bubbles come out perfect because you're gentle. I blow too hard and mine pop right away." To demonstrate, Sam started to blow into the straw. But his bubble hardly made it off the straw before it popped, making Ken flinch. He laughed a little, but when he opened his eyes Sam disappeared._

"_Where'd you go?" Ken called. "Sam! Come back, please!"_

But Sam won't come back. He's gone forever. Maybe I am too.

* * *

He stirred, slowly opening his eyes to stare at a gray ceiling above him. He sat up, feeling a bit lost and confused. First he became aware of a thick, warm comforter and a soft bed, high up off the ground. When he heard voices, he discovered a man and woman standing on the ground below his bed, looking very relieved to see him awake.

"Who are you?" he asked warily. The man and woman looked surprised, maybe even horrified. "Well?"

"Ken, don't you recognize who we are?" the woman asked worriedly.

"It's amnesia." The man said in realization.

_No, I didn't lose my memory. I lost my heart. And until I find it I don't know who I am…or who anyone else is either._

"How could he not know who is own parents are?" The woman asked the man.

Ken stared at the woman. _You don't know me either. How could you…if I don't know myself? _From what the woman said, apparently his name was Ken. But what did that mean? Who was Ken? Who was he? _Who am I?_

"Ken," the woman said. "Don't worry, you're safe now. We'll find you the finest doctor in the world."

"Ken, while you were sleeping your mother and I realized that we tried to make you more like Sam without really knowing it." The man said.

_These people know Sam? _Ken looked over and stared at the man and woman.

"We're very sorry." The man continued. "We should've seen the son we had, instead of spending our time constantly looking for the son that we lost."

"Forgive us." The woman begged. "All we're asking for is a second chance."

_I don't know what it is they want from me. How can I forgive them when I don't understand what they did?_

"Sam is gone forever." The man had tears in his eyes now. "We know that. But we don't want to lose you too."

"Just be Ken." The woman was crying. "Just be your sweet self. Ken, just try. Just try. Please. For me?"

_Why is she crying? I don't understand. When I'm sad I just go numb. _Suddenly, he felt something wet on his cheeks and reached up to his eyes, where the wetness came from. _W-wait. There's tears in my eyes too. Why am I crying? Is my heart closer than I think? _Ken looked down to the man and woman. _Maybe these people and I can share the pain and sorrow of losing Sam together._

* * *

_I'm still searching. I know the answer is out there. I just have to figure out where to look._

"Ken honey." Mrs. Ichijōji approached her son as he stared out the window. "Dinner's ready. Hungry?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly gasped and spun around to face her. "Oh, sorry I startled you." She stared for a moment, then smiled. _Must remember to go slowly. He just woke up a few days ago. He still has some of his memories, I'm sure. But I can't push it. _"It's okay. You can eat whenever you're ready." Ken turned from her and noticed a picture below him. He picked it up to see a young boy with a blue shirt, green short-sleeved hoodie, wild black hair and a pair of wireframe glasses over a pair of dark lavender eyes. "That's Sam. He was your brother."

_I know him. _Ken thought. _I know it's Sam._

"We were all devastated after Sam's accident, but you were the one affected the most." Mrs. Ichijōji wiped the fresh tears from her eyes. "Well. As I said, dinner is ready. You can eat when you want."

_Dinner does sound good right now. _Ken turned and smiled small, nodding.

"Oh, are you hungry?" Mrs. Ichijōji smiled warmly. "You know Dad won't be back from work until late this evening. I think we could get away with eating here in the living room. What do you say?"

Ken nodded, still keeping the small smile. Mrs. Ichijōji hurried off to get their food while Ken took a seat on the couch. He looked around at some of the other pictures hanging on the walls; pictures of him, Sam, and people Ken couldn't name but somehow recognized. _Those pictures. They bring back memories. Maybe if I saw more it would help me find my heart. _He looked down at the photo of Sam, still in his hands. _Maybe if I know who my friends and family are, I can know who I am._

"Here it is!" Mrs. Ichijōji came in with a tray holding two bowls of ramen and some iced tea. "I hope you like it." She watched Ken slowly set the picture of Sam down in front of them and then take up his chopsticks to eat. "You know, I think I have some old scrapbooks lying around. Maybe you'd like to look through them? They have pictures of you and Sam and all of our family and friends."

Ken nodded, his smile growing. _Surely they will help. If I know who knew me, I can know myself._

"All right." Mrs. Ichijōji nodded. "You eat up and we'll pull out a few." Ken hurriedly began scarfing down his food, much to the amusement of Mrs. Ichijōji. She ate slowly and quietly, wiping up any spills from her son's messy eating with her napkin. "Now Ken do slow down. The scrapbooks won't go anywhere. I don't want you to get a stomachache from eating so fast."

The raven-haired boy nodded and slowed down, realizing his stomach started hurting a little. He and the woman ate in silence until they finished eating and Mrs. Ichijōji pointed out the scrapbooks on the bookshelf, clearing their dishes away. Ken found five scrapbooks and decided on the one in the middle, believing it not recent or far in the past but still far back enough that he'd find what he needed. Mrs. Ichijōji joined him to explain pictures. Unfortunately, the first couple pages were no help. They were all of the Ichijōji family, including Ken and Sam's aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents at Disneyland. They helped him remember what a good time he had with this family, but Ken felt no closer to his heart. The next few pages showed him and his friends playing in the park or at school trips and fairs. Then, he found a set of purikura pictures. Through the stickers and designs the pictures depicted three kids smiling, making funny faces, and overall looking like they had a great time taking the photos. Two of the kids were obviously him and Sam. The third child was a girl who could've been their sister if they had one. She had short-cropped, pitch black hair and thick framed glasses over lavender eyes. Even the photos she looked like a tomboy, and Ken guessed she must've spent a lot of time with them. He flipped back a page or two and found the girl in some of the other pictures of him and Sam.

Mrs. Ichijōji took a look at the photos. "Oh, that's the daughter of some good friends of ours, the Yamada family. They died in a fire some years ago. You and Sam used to play with their daughter Rika all the time; you had so much fun together."

_That's right. Rika. Rika Yamada. I remembered her from school. She and Sam were so alike in so many ways. Same raven colored hair and fair skin; same dark lavender colored eyes; same grades and talents that everybody admired. They even wore the exact same style of glasses with the exact same prescription. Sam had to change his to a wireframe style so they wouldn't mix them up anymore._

* * *

When we were in school, everyone knew Sam and Rika were the two smartest kids in all the classes, even with Rika a couple years younger than Sam. For a while, they competed to see who the best of the best was really. They made everything a competition: grades on tests, time it took to get them done, games played during recess, even the times they woke up and got to school in the morning. Turns out, they were so alike they could've been twins.

"_Wow, the exact same score again." Rika said, staring at hers and Sam's papers._

"_This is really getting uncanny." Sam chuckled nervously._

"_Maybe it's a sign." Ken teased. "Maybe you two were meant to be together!"_

We laughed about it at the time, but I guess someone overheard me that day. During Valentine's and White Day, the entire school tried to get Sam and Rika together. Needless to say, they both turned bright red on those days. It was treated as a joke for a long time, even when we heard a parent comment about them getting married and raising a super genius child.

Then one day I noticed a look Rika would give Sam and not to me: she would start staring lovingly at him. I'm not sure how I knew it was love, but when Sam gave her the same look, it scared me. I thought for sure she would start paying more attention to him like my parents did, and I'd be cut out of our trio of friendship for good.

Almost overnight, it all changed. Word got around that Rika ended up in the hospital, mortally wounded. Nobody knew why; everyone guessed she was jumped in an alleyway or something. When she returned, she changed a little bit. Sometimes she would sit alone on the playground, talking as though someone stood next to her even though nobody was there. She couldn't spend time with us when it got dark out; something about a curfew.

"_Hey Rika!" Sam called as he and Ken approached their friend. "We're having a slumber party at our house this weekend. You should come!"_

"_Sorry guys." Rika shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to stay when it got dark out."_

"_Why not?" Ken asked innocently._

"_It's complicated." Rika said, wrapping her scarf tighter around her. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."_

"_Wait a minute!" Sam seemed to be angry now. "Why won't you hang out with us anymore?"_

"_It's just the whole night thing." Rika said. "I'm not allowed to be outside my home after sunset."_

"_Why not?" Sam demanded. "And don't tell me it's some stupid curfew thing!"_

"_You wouldn't understand!" Rika kept looking towards the horizon, but the sun was still several hours from setting._

"_I would understand if you just told me!" Sam demanded._

"_I can't!" Rika suddenly turned and ran off, hugging her books to her chest._

We never did understand why she couldn't be outside after dark. But Sam and I figured it was because of her incident that landed her in the hospital; if she really was jumped and attacked, maybe it happened at night and now she's scared. It wasn't our best theory; to this day, I can't think of anything that Rika would be afraid of.

After we decided to not push it anymore, Rika started hanging out with us again. But Sam's popularity began growing, and soon all the girls in class were drooling over him. Rika got pushed aside a few times, and then she would retaliate with harsh words. Harsh words were thrown back, and then Rika's fists or feet would fly. She earned detention a few times because of it.

One day, I decided to talk to her about her behavior and offered to play with her whenever Sam was busy with other things.

_Rika looked up at Ken, smiling warmly. "I like you, Ken. You always were the calmer brother."_

"_Are you mad at Sam?" Ken asked._

"_Nah." Rika shook her head. "I just wish we could hang out more often."_

"_Why don't we hang out?" Ken offered. "We can play soccer."_

_Rika's smile grew. "Okay! Let's go!"_

We started spending more and more time together. Sam would try to join us as often as he could, but we could tell he felt some pressure from his teachers, our parents, and especially the other girls at school. Thankfully, Rika stopped punching them. Once that happened, Sam tried extra hard to make time to hang out with us. He and Rika still shared a look they never included me in.

I can remember how one day our parents met up at the mall and took us with them so we could hang out. Sam and Rika were in charge, of course, since they were the oldest. But we still acted like we used to before Sam's immense popularity as the genius. One thing I always admired about Sam was how he admired the little things, especially when it came to Rika.

"_That's a pretty necklace, Rika." Sam said._

_Rika lifted the pendant she wore around her neck. "Thanks. My brother got it for me."_

"_What is it?" Ken asked, staring at the pretty charm._

"_It's called a Yin-Yang symbol, Kenny Boy." Sam explained. "It's the symbol for balance."_

"_Balance of what?" Ken asked._

"_The balance of opposites." Rika responded. "Love and hate; courage and fear; light and darkness; violence and peace." She took Sam's hand at that last part, and Ken noticed that loving look pass yet again between Rika's and Sam's eyes._

We were young, not even in middle school yet. But somehow I knew those two would get married someday. I always read stories about true love, and I admired Rika and Sam for finding it. But at the same time, I was jealous because Rika was my friend too, and I was still afraid she and Sam would grow so close I would be shut out.

* * *

One day after school, Rika and I were playing soccer while waiting for Rika's parents to pick her up. Sam was in a club and I decided I would wait for him so our parents could get us both at the same time.

"_Can't stop me, Rika!" Ken laughed, dribbling the ball towards the goal. Suddenly, the ball disappeared, and Ken skidded to a halt. He looked around to discover Rika with the ball under her foot._

"_You have to be gentle when dribbling the ball." Rika said. "You can't kick it so far ahead or the other players will steal it like I did."_

"_But you always told me I had to be tough when playing soccer." Ken said, obviously confused._

_Rika thought for a moment. "I did say that, didn't I? Well, you need both."_

"_Huh?" Ken cocked his head to one side like a confused puppy._

"_Remember this?" Rika touched her Yin-Yang necklace. "You need this for a lot of things in life. Soccer is one of them. Soccer needs a balance of gentleness and toughness. When dribbling, you gently touch the ball to keep it close to you." She showed Ken, dribbling it a short ways down the field. "Then when you're going up against the other players or when you want to score, you let out the toughness and power." She dribbled forward, shoving Ken to the ground when he tried to steal the ball and power kicking it into the goal. "See?" Ken didn't answer. He was too busy crying a little bit. Rika came over and knelt down to him. "Ken? You okay?"_

"_I'm okay." Ken sniffled._

"_I guess I shouldn't have pushed you." Rika laughed nervously. "But that's what you need to be a good soccer player; you have to be strong but gentle. Do you understand?"_

_Instantly, Ken was reminded of what Wormmon once told him about this same thing. He smiled at Rika. "Okay! I'll do my best!"_

"_Great!" Rika nodded. "Come on; let's keep playing."_

We played for another half hour before Rika's parents picked her up. I continued to practice my dribbling until Sam came to get me. As we left the field, I noticed something in the grass and discovered it was Rika's necklace. Knowing how precious it was to her, I pocketed the necklace and kept it close until Sam and I arrived at our apartment. I knew the Yamada family lived just a few floors up, but I was too shy to go up and return the necklace alone. I asked my mom to come with me. Luckily for me, she didn't completely shut me out of her life and agreed. She also seemed to have taken her friend's apron from cooking class and wanted to return it.

We journeyed up what seemed like a hundred flights of stairs before reaching the right floor. Mom went a little ways down the hallway to see her friend while I traveled much farther down. I heard Mom's friend invite her inside and I knew they'd be talking for a while, giving me plenty of time to do what I needed to do.

_Little Ken stared nervously at the door to Rika's apartment, not completely sure if he should knock or not. The little boy looked down at Rika's Yin-Yang necklace in his hand, and it seemed to give him courage. He knocked briskly, waiting for the door to open._

_To his surprise, the door was answered not by Rika or one of her parents, but by an older-looking boy with long, straw-colored hair and emerald green eyes. His skin looked ashen gray, or maybe Ken's eyes were playing tricks on him. Even his ears seemed to stick out and looked pointed like elf ears. Most of the boy's body was hidden under black yoga pants, a pair of blue slippers, a long-sleeved green shirt, brown gloves, and a navy blue bandana over the bottom half of his face. Despite what looked like a permanent scowl in the boy's eyes, he radiated with a positive and warm energy._

"_Hello." He greeted. "Can I help you?"_

_Ken finally found his voice. "Uh…..is Rika here?"_

"_No, I'm afraid not." The boy shook his head. "She and our parents are out right now."_

"_Why didn't you go with them?" Ken asked innocently._

_The boy seemed a little nervous, but answered. "I'm feeling a little under the weather. I thought I'd stay home and not get anyone else sick._

"_Oh, okay." Ken held up the necklace. "I just wanted to return this to her. She dropped it while we were playing today."_

_The boy looked very relieved. "Thank you for returning it. She's been worried sick about it." He reached over to take the necklace, but Ken suddenly recoiled, holding the charm to his chest._

"_If you don't mind, I'd like to give this to her myself." Ken requested in a small voice. The older boy blinked in surprise, but Ken continued. "It's just that we're such good friends and I want her to know that. I want to be the one to give it back to her so she knows I was the one that found it."_

"_And not me or your brother?" the older boy guessed. When Ken stared at him in surprise, the boy chuckled. "Rika tells me a lot about you and Sam." He laughed again, and this time Ken did too. "Would you like to come inside for a bit? Rika, Mom and Dad won't be home until late, but there's some curry rice on the stove if you'd like some."_

"_No thank you." Ken bowed politely. "Mom's with a friend a couple doors down and she'll be coming for me soon."_

"_Very well." The boy nodded in understanding. "How do you know Rika anyway?"_

"_She goes to our school. We hang out a lot. And she taught me how to play soccer." Ken said. "Today she was telling me how to be gentle when dribbling the ball."_

"_Yes, that's very important." The boy nodded. "I bet you'll make a great soccer player with how you play."_

"_Really?" Ken cocked his head in confusion, wondering how this boy could've known._

_The boy seemed to catch himself, quickly changing his tone. "Well, Rika tells me anyway. She tells me that you're powerful yet very gentle. Those are good qualities to have in a soccer player."_

_Ken stared for a moment, and suddenly Wormmon's words echoed in his head. The little insect Digimon always told Ken he liked the little boy because he was gentle. That's how he made the best bubbles when Sam taught him how. "You know, you kind of remind me of a friend."_

"_Oh?" the boy asked._

"_Yeah, his name is Wormmon." Ken said._

_The boy's eyes suddenly widened. "Wormmon? Is he a large green caterpillar?"_

"_He said he was called a Digimon." Ken said._

_The boy knelt down to Ken's eye level. "Tell me, did you receive a Digivice? A little piece of technology that maybe came from your computer?"_

_This time Ken's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"_

_The older boy's eyes seemed to smile. "Ken, I have something to tell you. Or, rather, something to _show _you. And I'm going to trust that you won't run away or become frightened. Can you do that?" Ken nodded, looking determined. The older boy reached up with his gloved hands and pulled his bandana down. Ken's eyes widened in awe and a little shock at the sight of the thick black thread across the boy's mouth, looking tight but soon revealed to be loose enough for the boy to speak._

"_Does it hurt?" Ken asked albeit sadly, slowly reaching out and touching the thread with one hand._

_The boy laughed a little, taking Ken's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Not at all. You could say I was born with it. My name is Wizardmon, and I'm Rika's Digimon."_

_Ken's eyes widened. "Really? Like how Wormmon's my Digimon?"_

"_Exactly." Wizardmon nodded, pulling the bandana back over his mouth. "Now you can't tell anyone about this, okay? You hold onto Rika's necklace and give it to her tomorrow at school. You two can talk all you want about Digimon and the Digital World, but you can't tell anyone else, okay?"_

"_Okay!" Ken nodded, smiling broadly._

_Wizardmon smiled too. "I'm glad you and Rika are friends, Ken. And I hope we can become good friends too."_

_Ken's smile grew. "And maybe you can meet Wormmon someday and we can all be friends!"_

"_That sounds great." Wizardmon agreed. He jumped a little when Ken suddenly wrapped his arms around his neck in a tight hug. The Digimon only smiled and returned the hug._

"_I'm happy we're friends." Ken said._

"_Me too." Wizardmon agreed._

* * *

Ken stared at the living room ceiling, the scrapbook set aside. Mrs. Ichijōji long since disappeared in the kitchen to wash dishes. The scrapbook stayed closed, its memories becoming too painful too fast.

_I felt so happy that evening I met Wizardmon. I thought for sure we'd become great friends. Maybe he'd get to meet Sam too. But when Sam and I got to school the next day we didn't see Rika anywhere, not even at recess. When school got out, Sam told me Rika never showed up for class._

* * *

"_Maybe she was sick or something." Ken said. "Her brother was sick; maybe she caught what he had."_

"_Maybe." Sam nodded, not really listening._

"_Are you okay, Sam?" Ken asked._

"_I'm fine!" Sam snapped. He turned from his brother. "Let's just go home."_

"_Can we stop by Rika's house?" Ken asked timidly. "I wanna give her something." _

_Ken's eyes seemed to soften, and he fingered something in his pocket. "Okay Kenny Boy. Let's go."_

I didn't realize it at the time, but it would be the last time he ever called me that.

_The two boys waited patiently for the light to signal them to cross the street. Once it did, they began to cross._

"_Ken watch out!"_

_Ken suddenly flew forward and his face hit the sidewalk. He turned to shout at his brother when a car horn suddenly blared and Sam's body flew up into the air, landing hard on the ground beside Ken. He stared in horror at the older boy's body. The car's tires screeched as it drove away, hardly pausing. Ken could hear quite a commotion around him, but all he could do was stare at Sam's body. Somehow his brother's glasses and one of his shoes flew off from the impact._

_Suddenly weak, Ken fell to his knees beside Sam's body. He reached over and took Sam's glasses, folding them neatly in his hands. Then he noticed a piece of paper in Sam's sweatshirt pocket and for some reason pulled it out. He waited for Sam to shout at him to not read it, but Sam still didn't move._

"_Sam?" Ken whimpered, clutching the paper and eyeglasses to his chest. "Sam! Wake up Sam! Sam wake up we gotta go home! Sam please don't leave me! SAM!"_

I didn't realize it until much later, after Sam was taken away by an ambulance and after my parents came to get me, what exactly happened that took away my brother. Apparently some drunk kids were car racing and they didn't see me and Sam when they came around the corner. I did remember Sam pushing me out of the way so I wouldn't get hurt.

So even when we fought and sometimes it felt like we hated each other, Sam still loved me enough to save my life.

While we were at the hospital, my parents told me that there was a fire last night in the Yamada family's apartment. While the fire didn't spread very far, everything and everyone in the Yamada residence was destroyed.

Rika and Wizardmon were dead.

Mom finally got around to taking me home while Dad stayed with Sam in hopes he would wake up. Once we got home, I realized I still had Sam's glasses and paper in my hands. I went back into my room and climbed up to my bed, sitting cross-legged on it. I put the glasses down and opened up the paper to find a lengthy note….no, a letter. Addressed to Rika.

_Dear Rika,_

_I know we're way too young to be thinking about this. We're hardly in middle school for crying out loud. But I feel something for you, Rika. I feel something I've never felt for another girl before. Those other girls in school like me because of my talents and how smart I am. But you. You like me for me. You've been hanging out with me and Ken for a long time and you're so good at giving us equal amounts of attention. You're kind and smart and beautiful and I love everything about you._

_I know that people sometimes talk about how we may grow up to get married someday. Heck, most of the school tried to get us together at Valentine's and White Day. I was just thinking. That is, I thought maybe we could prove them right. I mean, I'm not saying we should get married right now. That'd be ridiculous._

_I don't even know why I'm writing this letter to you. It's like a diary entry or something. I just wanted to get my thoughts on paper because that's how I work out my problems. I thought I could do that here and this would all make sense. But I may not even end up giving this to you because I'd be too embarrassed._

_Oh to heck with it. Rika. I love you. I really do. I really want us to get married someday. I don't know if you love me too. But if you do, please hold me in your heart long enough for us to reach high school. Then we can call it official and everyone can know._

_Always know that until that time comes, there will only be room in my heart for you._

_With love,_

_Sam __Ichijōji_

I felt so ashamed reading it. But I couldn't help it. And now I knew that the two of them could never tell each other how they felt.

It came as a mind-numbing shock. In less than 24 hours I had lost the people I held closest to my heart.

Sam, my only brother, who I never really hated I was just mad at him.

Rika, my friend and Sam's love, who was the only girl in school that chose to accept me and my brother equally.

Wizardmon, the kind Digimon, who I only got to be friends with for a little while before he was taken from me.

_Little Ken __Ichijōji, now an only child and without any true friends, couldn't do much more than cry himself to sleep that night._

* * *

Ken decided to move to his room, away from the pictures and the memories. He sat down at his desk, sighing in exhaustion. Unfortunately, he was no closer to finding his heart. In fact, he was probably further away now. He gave a deep sigh, not sure where to go next. Then, he looked down and gasped softly at what lay on his keyboard.

_I know what that is. _He realized. It was his D3 Digivice, and his Crest of Kindness. Wormmon's voice began to echo in his head.

"_Please Master. Listen to me. Where's the Ken I used to love?"_

"Oh Wormmon….." Ken whispered. He stood up, now feeling determined. "I know where to look now."

Mrs. Ichijōji walked up to Ken's door, a tray with tea in her hands. _I know I said I'd let him be, but I don't know how much longer I can stand this. I have to do something to help. _"Ken dear? I made you a nice cup of tea." She opened the door, but gasped softly. "Ken? Where are you?" Hopelessness and despair came crashing down on her, and she began to cry once more. "Not again!"

What she didn't know, Ken reached the Digital World once more, and began wandering aimlessly throughout the land.

_I know this place. _He thought. _I've been here before. This is where I have to look. I know that this is where I will find my heart._

After who-knows-how-long, Ken finally noticed splashes of colors other than blues, greens, grays and sandy yellows. In fact, it looked like a large, outdoor playpen for babies. Dotting the ground like polka dots were eggs of all colors and patterns and shades.

"Digi-Eggs." Ken breathed. "Hundreds of them. What _is _this place?"

"This is the Primary Village." A little voice said.

"Primary Village?" Ken looked down at what appeared to be a stone cradle with a tiny creature resting inside. The creature looked like a Bakemon, only cleaner and much cuter.

"That's right!" the baby ghost said. "This is the place where all Digimon are reborn and they come back as Digi-Eggs."

Ken stared in shock. "Reborn? Wormmon too?"

"That's right!" the baby ghost said. "Digimon never die. They just get reconfigured."

It was the first bit of happy news Ken heard in days. He laughed as he ran towards the eggs, looking all around. He suddenly realized just how many rested in the field, and each one looked strange to him. "Which egg is Wormmon's? It could be any one of them! I can't remember. What did his egg look like? I don't know which one of these Dig-Eggs is Wormmon's…..just like I don't remember who I am or where I'm from."

"You're the Digimon Emperor, aren't ya?"

Ken turned to see another cradle and baby, this one with white hair like fur and what looked like two blue-gray antenna. "I recognize you even without your fancy clothes." The baby suddenly shot out and smacked into Ken's side before returning to his cradle.

"Huh? The Digimon Emperor?" Ken felt memories coming back fast like a swarm of hornets. "That's right, I _was _the Digimon Emperor. I've done so many terrible things! I was responsible for Wormmon. If I would've realized the truth about the DigiWorld sooner Wormmon would still be here with me today!"

"You don't wanna find Wormmon's Digi-Egg because you miss him," cried a little red baby. "You just don't want to feel guilty anymore over causing his destruction! After all you did, we're not gonna welcome you back with open arms, even if we had 'em!"

"What do you think's going to happen?" a black baby snapped. "Wormmon's just going to hatch so he can be treated badly by you all over again?"

"Wormmon won't come back to me?" Ken said in disbelief. "Just like my brother Sam didn't come back to me after he left. Just like how Rika and Wizardmon didn't come back when they left." _This is the truth I don't want to face. Wormmon's not coming back. Sam's not coming back either, neither are Rika and Wizardmon. I caused them to go away. I hated my brother for getting all the attention. I even started hating Rika and Wizardmon for leaving me all alone. I hated Wormmon because I felt he wasn't worthy of me. _Ken fell to his knees. "The truth is I wasn't worthy of him!" He stared at his trembling hands. _These hands. These hands have caused so much pain. Sure, put a textbook in them and I'm a genius. But put a whip in them and I'm the evil Digimon Emperor. How could I have allowed this to go so far? _"If I only had the chance." Ken sobbed into his hands. "I'd say sorry Sam! I'm sorry Wormmon!" _Why? Why did you have to leave me?_

"It's too late for you now." the red baby snapped. "You can't turn back time. What's done is done. You've made your bed now lie in it! I'd go on but I can't think of any more clichés!"

"The point is you can't run away from the past." The black baby growled. "You've caused enough damage here. Why don't you crawl back under the Control Spire you came out of?"

"And why don't _you _go back to your nap you little brat."

Ken froze at the new voice, a feeling of familiarity coming to him. _That voice….it's not so much the voice itself but how it's being used…the tone of it…..I've heard it before….when the owner was shoved aside for trying to speak to Sam._

"Your ignorance and lack of compassion will make you a very sorry Digimon indeed." The girl's voice continued as Ken turned to the speaker. He noticed the black Digimon baby shrink down in her cradle while a human girl stood, arms crossed and frowning, over her. The girl wore a white nightgown over a pair of blue pajama pants and a witch's hat with a skull on it rested on her head. Her raven hair, the exact same shade as Sam's and Ken's, had grown since the time she kept it cut so short. But the fire never left those dark lavender eyes, right behind….

_Those glasses…. _Ken thought. ._….the ones just like Sam used to wear before he changed to a different style…in fact, she looks a lot more like Sam than me. Maybe that's why we became such good friends. Maybe that's why they fell in love so fast._

"Rika….." Ken breathed.

Rika turned and smiled warmly at Ken. "I'm so happy you remember me, Ken. You were always such a good friend of mine."

Ken trembled, tears building up in his eyes. "You're here. You're really here. I haven't lost you." Then he turned away from her. "But I lost Sam. He's dead, Rika."

Rika's smile disappeared. She walked around to be in front of Ken and knelt down. "I know. And the anger and hate only grew within you until you used it to be the powerful Digimon Emperor. You caused a lot of pain, especially to your Digimon partner. It's going to take more than an apology to fix this. You know that, right?"

"Can't I start over?" Ken pleaded, going to his hands and knees and letting his tears fall. He seemed to speak more to the Digimon around them than to Rika herself. "I know I've caused a lot of pain as the Digimon Emperor but I'm truly sorry now. Please forgive me. The cruel things I've done in the past won't ever leave me but I've got to move on with my life! I promise to concentrate on the good things in the past not the evil. I'll use my memories of Sam and of Wormmon to make me stronger." He sat back on his ankles, holding his head in his hands. "But I can't seem to remember any of the good memories; only the bad ones keep playing in my head over and over again. I blocked out the good ones. I must force myself to remember the beginning. I must think back to the first time I used Sam's Digivice to go to the Digital World." He dug his fingers in his hair, moaning in despair. "I can't do it! All I can think about is the pain and the sadness none of my good memories will come back!"

"Ken." Rika's soothing voice calmed the boy down a bit. "I can help you. I will take away the pain and sadness of your bad memories to help you remember the good ones."

"You can?" Ken breathed.

"I can't take away the memories; they will remain in your mind where they belong." Rika said. "But I can take away the darkness so that only the positive and happy memories stand out. It'll help you remember."

"Yes!" Ken urged. "Please do it!"

Rika nodded and pressed her palm to Ken's forehead. She closed her eyes in concentration, and when she opened them they were glowing an almost ghostly black color. Ken didn't feel much different, so he focused on looking through his memories. Finally, he could uncover and old memory from what seemed like decades ago.

* * *

_Ken, Wormmon, and Ryo walked through a small sandstorm in the desert, hoping to make it to the other side soon so they could actually see a bit of green. Suddenly, a Gazimon burst from the sand right towards Ken. Wormmon, thinking fast, shot forward and body slammed the Gazimon to one side, forcing the grey furred Digimon to scamper away. Little Ken hurried forward and picked Wormmon up, holding him close._

"_Wormmon!" Ken cried. "Wormmon! You okay?"_

_Wormmon opened his eyes and smiled a little. "I'm okay. It'll take a lot more than him to beat me."_

_Ken sighed in relief. "Right."_

"_Ken, I'm really glad that I'm your Digimon and we're partners." Wormmon said. "You're gentle and kind. That's why I like you."_

_Ken gasped in awe. "I'm gentle?"_

_Sam: Your bubbles come out perfect because you're gentle. I blow too hard and mine pop right away._

"_But being gentle is not enough." Wormmon said. "You have to be strong as well. Otherwise, Ken…"_

"_Otherwise what?" Ken asked._

"_Your kindness and gentleness will become overpowered by those who are evil." Wormmon warned. "It happens. The Digivice that you have belongs to you and not Sam. You're DigiDestined and no one can take that away from you. Evil forces will try to tell you otherwise but you can't listen to them. Never forget who you are."_

"_I won't." Ken said determinedly._

"_You promise?" Wormmon asked._

* * *

Ken opened his eyes and found Rika's eyes back to normal. She gave no indication that she saw the memory. Ken stared at the ground. "I broke my promise because I did forget. My whole life I've been trying to be someone else. Whether it was acting tough as the Digimon Emperor…..or trying to be more like Sam." He hugged himself, shaking like a rattlesnake's tail. "I've never been Ken! But I'm going to spend the rest of my life being the kind and gentle person that Wormmon wanted me to be!"

Suddenly, a bright pink light emitted from Ken's shirt pocket, and he reached inside to pull out the pink Crest Davis found in the sand. "What's this?"

"That's your Crest of Kindness." The ghost baby Digimon said.

"Are you sure it's mine?" Ken murmured. Then, another light caught his eye, and he turned to see one of the Digi-Eggs glowing pink. He stood, pocketing the Crest of Kindness, and walked towards it. "That Digi-Egg is different from the others. Something tells me I've seen it before. It's glowing like the Crest of Kindness." He placed his hands on the egg, and it glowed brighter. He recoiled in shock, watching the egg hatch and a new cradle appear beneath the baby. The little green baby looked almost like a pig but with a long tail with a leaf on the end that seemed to work as an umbrella.

"Who are….you?" Ken breathed.

The leaf raised up and Ken knew who it was when it said "Hi Ken." Tears built up in his eyes again. "I'm Leafmon, the baby form of Wormmon."

That's when Ken began to full-on cry, happy tears streaming down his cheeks. He lifted Leafmon out of the cradle. "I kept searching for you. I never stopped!"

"Ken, thank you." Leafmon said. "You took a little detouring getting there, but you kept your promise."

"What promise?" Ken asked.

"Being kind and gentle." Leafmon said.

Ken continued to cry happy tears. "Thank you for giving me a second chance." Leafmon cried tears of his own, so happy to see the little boy he loved returned again. Ken held Leafmon close, feeling a warmth in his chest he hadn't known in years. The two of them couldn't stop crying. _I wonder…..if I was the one who was gone instead of Sam, would Wormmon be the only one who would miss me? Mm…..no I don't think so._

"Rika!" Ken realized. "I have to thank her! Hey! I want to—" But when he turned, he paused at the disappearance of the girl that looked like his brother. "Where'd she go? You little baby Digimon. Did you see her go?"

"She just walked off without a word." The little ghost baby said.

"I don't think you should trust her, Digimon Emperor." The little black one said.

"Why not?" Ken asked.

"She's very mysterious." The black baby said. "She looks sweet and kind, but she can take down a Digimon with her bare hands and feet. Not to mention with that sword she has."

"And she has a Crest of the DigiDestined!" the red baby added hurriedly. "It's the Crest of Darkness!"

Ken's eyes widened. "The Crest of…..Darkness?"

"Elecmon saw it once." The red baby said. "It's all black, with a crescent moon and star symbol."

"She's a little scary." The black one quivered a little. "For all we know, if she has a Crest of Darkness then she could become a Digimon Empress!"

"A Digimon Empress?" Ken gasped. _But she's my friend. She helped me. She took away my darkness to help me remember Wormmon and my promise to him. _He paused. _But how? How did she take away my darkness? Her eyes…they were glowing…but they were black. _His eyes widened. _Could it be true? If she has a Crest, then she must be a DigiDestined. But if it's the Crest of Darkness…could she really become a Digimon Empress? Even I changed from being a sweet little kid to a cruel and evil person. What did I do by giving her my darkness? Did I inadvertently give her more power? Have I helped a new monster come forward?_

"What have I done?" Ken breathed.

* * *

Mrs. Ichijōji hoped she would run out of tears to cry, yet more and more kept coming. "This time he might not come back at all!"

"Don't say such things." Mr. Ichijōji scolded gently. "He'll be back. I'm sure of it."

Then, the door to Ken's room opened and he stepped out to see them. Mr. and Mrs. Ichijōji each cried "Ken!" and hurriedly approached him.

"Where have you been?" Mr. Ichijōji asked worriedly.

"We've been so worried about you." Mrs. Ichijōji sobbed.

_Now I understand why she's crying. _Ken realized. _She missed me. Just like I missed Wormmon. _Ken felt more tears streaming down his cheeks. "Mama….."

Mr. and Mrs. Ichijōji stared in shock. "What?" Mr. Ichijōji breathed. "What did you say?"

"He said 'Mama'." Mrs. Ichijōji realized. "That means…..he knows me!"

"Mama…" Ken began sobbing. "I'll give you that second chance….if I can have one." Mrs. Ichijōji, overwhelmed with joy, suddenly pulled her son into a warm embrace. Ken smiled warmly at his parents. "Thanks for being such great parents." Mrs. Ichijōji and Ken continued to cry. Mr. Ichijōji allowed some tears to fall, struggling to hold them back as he pulled his wife and son into a hug. Leafmon watched from the doorway, happy to see Ken looking so joyful.

_And now I can finally say it. _Ken said, staring off at the picture of Sam across the room. _Thank you Sam. For helping me find my heart._


	8. Investigation of Rika Yamada

**Investigation of Rika Yamada**

Kari knew she didn't have school that day, ergo she never set her alarm. So she certainly didn't expect a yowling and screaming Gatomon to wake her up at 5 in the morning.

"Gatomon!" Kari shook her Digimon awake. "Gatomon wake up before you wake someone!"

Gatomon gasped and her eyes flew open. She panted heavily, sweat drenching her fur. "Kari…"

"Another nightmare?" Kari guessed. "It was Wizardmon again, wasn't it?"

Gatomon sighed sadly, her ears drooping. "Kari, I wish Wizardmon's ghost never came to see us. My nightmares were bearable when it was just Myotismon; but now I have to watch my best friend get tortured and then killed almost every night. I miss him so much; I can't find a way to get rid of the dreams."

Kari sighed, holding Gatomon close. "You know what that means? I means you really care about him. And he really cared about you if he was willing to give his life for you."

"I never wanted him to." Gatomon shook a little, hoping she didn't cry again. "I wish I hadn't gotten him involved in this; I never should've recruited him to be in Myotismon's army. But Myotismon told me to get some of the strongest Digimon to be his mercenaries and Wizardmon will always be one of the best."

"Oh Gatomon." Kari gave her Digimon partner a squeeze. "I bet if Wizardmon were here he wouldn't want you to be so sad. He even said so himself that if he hadn't met you his life would've had no meaning. Believe me, Gatomon, I'm sad too. I only knew him for a short while, but I loved having him for a friend. I wish he hadn't died either but we can't change it." She blinked away her tears. "As hard as it is, we have to try and move on. For Wizardmon."

Gatomon nodded, forcing a smile. "For Wizardmon."

Kari smiled. "Well, we might as well have breakfast or something. We have a long day ahead of us."

"More work in the Digital World?" Gatomon guessed.

"Well yes, but not today." Kari said. "Today we're going to do some investigating on Rika."

Gatomon nodded, remembering the talk they had yesterday. "What do you think we'll find?"

Kari stared off at her wall for a moment. "I'm not sure, Gatomon. I'm really not sure."

* * *

"Hey guys!" Izzy called as he, Tai, and Matt came up.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice." T.K. said.

"Not a problem." Matt assured.

"So that's everyone except for Davis." Yolei said. "I bet he slept in again."

"_I'm coming!"_

Everyone turned with exasperated and mildly amused looks as Davis came tearing down the sidewalk towards them, DemiVeemon keeping a tight grip on his goggles.

"Slow down Davis!" DemiVeemon whimpered.

Davis skidded to a halt when he reached his friends, leaning on his knees and panting. "Sorry. I overslept."

"Called it." Poromon laughed.

"Come on." Kari urged. "We'll head to the mall and eat lunch while we talk about what we found."

"Great! I'm starving!" Davis's mouth already began watering.

"All you ever think about is food." T.K. sighed. Still, none of them could deny that they were ready for lunch, so they journeyed to the nearby mall and stopped in the food court for burgers, fries, and sodas. They found a table in the corner so the Digimon could eat without detection.

"So we all should've done a little research last night." Cody said. "What were the results?"

"We had to do research?" Davis asked.

Everyone groaned. "Davis." Yolei complained. "You could've at least asked around your neighborhood to see if anyone's heard of her. That's what I did."

"Yolei and I visited every apartment in our complex." Cody said. "But nobody ever heard of or seen Rika before."

"Tai, Gatomon and I asked around our apartment and the other apartments in Odaiba." Kari said. "We had many people say the name sounded familiar and when we showed them her picture they sort of recognized her. But the one thing they said would help would be if we had a family name."

"I suppose that would help." Matt nodded. "But you guys never got that, did you?"

"It's like she doesn't want us to find her." Upamon said.

"Maybe she doesn't." Patamon said.

"Matt and I walked over most of Odaiba with Rika's pictures, but no one really recognized her." T.K. said.

"What if she doesn't live in Odaiba?" Gatomon asked. "She might live across the harbor."

"Then we'll really have a lot of work to do." Cody sighed.

"Let's focus on the Odaiba area for now." T.K. suggested. "You never know; maybe she did live here once."

"Sora's dad is good friends with lots of the teachers and principals in the schools around here." Tai explained. "But unfortunately, they looked in their records as far back as ten years ago and they couldn't find very much. Only one elementary school had records of a girl named Rika attending, and she never made it to middle school. I guess 'Rika' isn't that popular of a name around here."

"Joe texted his brother Jim to check on the hospital records." Matt said. "Based on your pictures she looked about your guys' age. He did find a girl born about eleven or twelve years ago under the name Rika Yamada."

Izzy gasped softly. "Yamada? Are you sure it was Yamada?"

"Yeah." Matt nodded.

"What is it, Izzy?" Cody asked.

"I was just staring at the pictures you took of her and I couldn't help but think about where I had seen her face before. Besides the fact that she looks remarkably like Kari." Izzy explained, typing away on his laptop. "Then I remembered a news story I once read and for some reason it really stuck with me. Check it out!" Everyone gathered around his computer and saw an online newspaper page. The headline read "Lost but Not Forgotten: Yamada Family Dies in Apartment Fire." The contents were not as shocking as the pictures of the victims. One picture stood out: a photo of a little girl with rounded rectangular black glasses, short black hair, and lavender eyes.

"It's Rika!" Davis realized.

"Wow. She looks just like you, Kari." Tai noted. "In fact, she looks _exactly_ the way you did four years ago, only with darker hair, different color eyes, and glasses."

"You're right." Kari could hardly believe the strikingly twin-like resemblance.

"That's the other thing." Izzy explained. "This fire happened about four years ago, some months after we defeated Apocalymon. It was reported that there were no survivors."

"I remember hearing about that." Matt said. "The teachers wouldn't stop talking about it. Even though nobody seems to remember Rika, the Yamada family must've been well-known all around Tokyo Harbor. Apparently, the fire started in their apartment and the neighbors called the fire department after smelling the smoke through the air ducts. The fire department discovered a pot of food on the stove, so they assumed that someone left the stove on and maybe the food boiled over, causing a fire by accident."

"Except a lot of people knew Mrs. Yamada as an experienced cook." Tai said. "Our mom used to take cooking classes from her. Everyone knew Mrs. Yamada wouldn't be so careless, so they reopened the case. From surveillance footage they found a man walking into the apartment and then never coming out again before the fire started. They couldn't identify the guy, but finally decided it was a murder-suicide incident."

"But if there were no survivors, how is Rika alive?" Cody asked. "We've come in contact with her; she's truly flesh and bone."

"I hate to say it, but what if _she's _the one who caused the fire?" Yolei wondered.

"No matter what it means, this is still a clue." T.K. said. "Thanks Izzy."

"I don't suppose you could ask Rika about this." Izzy asked.

"We could hardly get anything out of her without this information." Gatomon said. "She's not going to talk."

"Then we need to keep searching." Tai said. "Maybe if we found out more information she'd be more lenient. Less likely to lie to us."

"Why don't we split up?" Matt suggested. "According to the article the Yamada family lived in an apartment building in Tamachi."

"But the school Sora's dad found is in Odaiba." Tai said.

"Okay, here's what we'll do." Kari said. "The apartment and the school are our best places to find clues. Half of us will go to each place and we'll go from there."

The kids and Digimon agreed and quickly finished lunch to get to work. After much deliberation, they finally decided who would go where: Matt, Izzy, T.K., Patamon, Cody, and Upamon would go to the elementary school; Tai, Kari, Gatomon, Davis, DemiVeemon, Yolei, and Poromon would go to the apartment.

* * *

"Thanks for talking to us on such short notice." Tai said to the building manager, Mr. Tamaguchi.

"Not a problem." Mr. Tamaguchi assured as he led them to the right apartment. "I was always so fond of the Yamada family. If their little girl somehow survived, it would be very nice to hear."

Kari gasped softly, pausing. "What is it, Kari?" Gatomon asked.

Everyone stopped and came over to where Kari stood. "Ah, the Ichijōji family." Mr. Tamaguchi said, staring at the name plate. "They'd be good people to talk to. They knew the Yamada family well."

"No thanks." Kari said. "Let's go." They continued along, somehow hiding their anxiousness from Mr. Tamaguchi. _It's a good thing Cody isn't here. _Yolei thought. _He definitely wouldn't be happy to know Rika lived so close to Ken. _They traveled up a few more floors until they reached a door with a name plate that said "Asano." They knocked on the door and a young woman answered, a little girl hiding behind her legs.

"Hello." The woman greeted. "Can I help you?"

"These kids are hoping to find out more about the Yamada family that used to live here." Mr. Tamaguchi said. "Could we come in?"

"Sure!" the woman opened the door wider to let them in. "I knew Mrs. Yamada from cooking class and her mother used to babysit me. I'm Mika Asano and this is Yumiko."

"Hello." Little Yumiko greeted shyly.

The kids introduced themselves as they settled down in the living room. The apartment certainly didn't look like it once caught fire with its nice furniture, painted walls, and pictures of the Asano family all around the walls and shelves.

"So what do you want to know?" Mrs. Asano asked.

"Well, did you know Mr. and Mrs. Yamada very well? Or even just their daughter?" Davis asked.

"Everybody knew the Yamada family, from Takano and Miho to their daughter Rika to Miho's parents that lived with them." Mrs. Asano said. "Miho taught cooking classes in Odaiba. Takano worked for a book publishing company. Miho's parents were happily retired, but her mother continued to go to a knitting circle with her friends. It seemed the woman was always knitting something, but boy was that woman tough as nails! Their daughter was such a tomboy, but also very talented and very smart."

_Sounds like Ken. _Kari thought. "Did you know them personally?"

"Not really, I'm afraid." Mrs. Asano said. "I only took cooking classes from Miho for quite a few years."

"Do you know much about the fire in his apartment?" Yolei asked.

"Not really." Mrs. Asano shook her head. "By the time we moved in everything was fixed and refurbished."

"It happened late one night." Mr. Tamaguchi explained. "The neighbors complained of smoke coming from the air ducts and then I saw the flames coming from the Yamada's place. I called the fire department but it was too late. Nobody survived."

"What about the man that went into the apartment before the fire started?" Tai asked. "Did you see him?"

"No." Mr. Tamaguchi sighed. "Believe me, the police and I went over the tapes a dozen times but we never saw his face. He wore such a broad brimmed hat we couldn't even identify him from the back."

"That probably doesn't help much." Mrs. Asano said apologetically.

"It's okay." Kari said. "We had to start somewhere, and this seemed like the best place. Although I guess it doesn't help that everything looks normal. It looks like the fire never even happened."

"You know what? Why don't you stop by the local fire department?" Mr. Tamaguchi suggested. "They responded to the fire really fast and since it was pretty recent there's bound to be someone who would know about it."

"Thanks we'll try that." Yolei said. They kids stood, bowed and thanked the adults, and left the apartment.

"Well, off to the fire department we go!" Poromon said.

* * *

The group that journeyed to the school found a little better luck. Rika's old schoolteacher still worked there and was more than happy to talk to them during her lunch break.

"Rika was a very gifted student." The teacher, Mrs. Rishi, said. "She was one of those students where school came easy for her. Everything came easy for her. She and Sam Ichijōji were evenly matched for all their lives. Most of the school tried to make them a couple on Valentine's and White Day."

"Figures." Matt chuckled.

"She stayed here all her elementary school life and we fully expected her and Sam to go on to a good middle school either here or in Tamachi." Mrs. Rishi said. "I can't think of a single person who didn't like her."

_This doesn't help us. _Cody thought ruefully.

Izzy seemed to pick up on Cody's slight distress. "Did she have any idiosyncrasies? Any that maybe seemed concerning or just downright strange?"

"Oh no. She was pretty much the perfect child." Mrs. Rishi sighed. "That is…..until her….._incident._"

The DigiDestined kids perked up a little, and Upamon and Patamon had to fight to not gasp in surprise to blow their cover as toys. "Incident? What incident?" T.K. asked.

Mrs. Rishi bit her bottom lip nervously. "Well, one day Rika didn't come to school, and then word got out that she ended up in the hospital. Apparently someone had mortally wounded her; no one really knew why, but it became very clear that someone attacked her. She spent a couple nights in the hospital and then an entire week recuperating at home. By the time she returned to school she seemed only traumatized but otherwise fine."

"Yikes." T.K. breathed.

"What kind of creep attacks a little kid?" Matt growled. _Maybe that's why she's so secretive. Something happened that night to change her._

"How did you know she was traumatized?" Cody asked.

"Well who wouldn't be after being attacked?" Mrs. Rishi shrugged. "But there was a significant change in her character for a while. It didn't affect her studies; in fact, she seemed to study harder because of the event as though to distract her from socializing. And then there was…" She paused, staring off into space.

"What?" Izzy asked, almost eagerly.

"Well, for a long time she wouldn't play with any of the other children at recess." Mrs. Rishi explained. "I overheard some of the children complaining about how much time she spent talking to her imaginary friend. So I went to investigate myself. I saw what the other kids meant; Rika would be sitting by herself and just talking. It's like she was having a conversation like the one we're having now, but there wasn't anybody anywhere near her to respond. If Sam and his brother Ken hadn't been such devoted friends, we probably would've sent Rika to counselling."

"When did this start happening?" Matt asked.

"It started soon after if not the day she returned to school after her incident." Mrs. Rishi said. "A couple months passed and then the fire happened. The next day we lost Sam Ichijōji. His parents pulled his little brother Ken out of school and moved him to one closer to home. It was quite a sorrowful day."

The DigiDestined fell silent for a while, mourning a little bit. "Do you know which hospital Rika went to when she was hurt?" T.K. asked in a soft voice.

"Sorry, no." Mrs. Rishi shook her head. "But I'm sure they wrote a news story about it; maybe you can look it up and they recorded it. If you find it, I highly recommend checking them out. They might have more information than I can give you."

"Thank you Mrs. Rishi." Matt nodded as they all stood up to leave.

"Boys." Mrs. Rishi piped up, stopping them at the door. "If you end up finding Rika, if she truly is alive and you can possibly bring her back, maybe see if she has time to stop by here. We all miss the Yamada family, and Rika left quite an impact on our lives." She looked down. "To have her back…..would be wonderful."

* * *

"It sounds like Rika and her family were pretty popular." Cody noted. The boys currently sat, a little crowded, on a park bench near the school.

"Because they were kind and helpful and probably very wonderful people." Matt said. "I wonder what could've caused Rika's transformation."

"It could've been that attack that landed her in the hospital." T.K. suggested.

"It can't just be that." Matt said. "If it is, then it couldn't have just been the attack; something would need to have happened that night, or Rika's personality wouldn't have made such a big 180 turn."

"There's still so much we don't know. Mrs. Rishi only told us the same stuff the Digimon told us. I wonder how long she's been talking to herself." T.K. sighed. "Izzy, what's the status on finding the hospital?"

Izzy continued typing. "Here it is! Let's see…..'According to Rika she was attacked by a bad man that threatened her and her brother Ukito.'"

"A brother?" T.K. looked over at the article. _That's right. Rika did mention an older brother. This could be important._

"That's what it says." Izzy shrugged. "It also says the brother was too uncomfortable to talk about the incident, and at the time was staying with their grandparents to cope. And the hospital…ah, there we are! The International Medical Center of Japan in Shinjuku."

"All right then." T.K. said, standing up. "Back on the train we go I guess."

* * *

"The Yamada family, huh?" the chief of the fire department rubbed his chin in thought. "Yeah, I remember that. Called in the middle of the night. By the time we arrived the entire complex was on fire but it hadn't spread to the rest of the apartments. We managed to get the fire out but nobody survived."

"I don't suppose anyone was actually there that we could talk to now?" Tai requested.

"Hmm…" the chief thought for a moment. "I think Roka was there. He actually went inside to find the Yamada family to save them. He's usually inspecting trucks around this time."

"Thank you!" Kari said graciously. They all jogged off to find Roka and discovered the man inspecting the fire trucks, per the chief's prediction. Thankfully, the 30-year-old seemed to have time to talk about the Yamada fire.

"Yeah, I was in one of the first trucks that arrived." Roka told the kids. "I ran inside, hoping I could save the family. Everything was on fire except the floor and there was smoke everywhere. I never did find any of the family. Or the guy that broke in and supposedly caused the fire. Believe me, I searched the entire place at least three times; another guy had to come in and drag me out. There was no one."

"You sure you didn't see any open windows or something?" Yolei asked. "A way that someone could've gotten out?"

"Well, one of the windows was broken, and we found the body of Mrs. Yamada's father a block away. He must've jumped out and tried to run for help." Roka said. "But that wasn't even the weirdest part."

"There's a weirdest part?" Davis asked.

"Well, while I was in there I could see something through the smoke." Roka explained. "Even to this day I don't know if what I saw was even real."

"What was it?" Kari asked.

"I could see two shadows in the smoke." Roka said. "From the looks of it, they seemed to be fighting physically and verbally. But what really caught me off-guard was the fact that they seemed to be doing magic or something. I couldn't make any sense of it; when I shouted at them they suddenly disappeared."

"Well that _is _weird." Tai agreed.

"I'm afraid that's all I can say." Roka shrugged. "That fire was pretty bad, and that's the bottom line. No human could've survived."

The kids exchanged worried looks but thanked the man before leaving.

"A magic fight? In the middle of a fire?" Davis shook his head. "Sounds like something out of a fantasy film."

"Maybe the smoke was making his brain go loopy." DemiVeemon said.

"I don't think so." Yolei said, frowning in thought.

"Whatcha thinking about, Yolei?" Poromon asked.

"Well, he did say that no human could've survived; at least, no normal human. We've established that Rika is strange beyond reason all reason." Yolei said. "For all we know, she could have supernatural or even just magical powers."

"You don't still think she caused the fire, do you?" Kari asked.

"Why would she do that to her own family?" Gatomon said.

"If she did cause the fire, maybe she didn't do it on purpose." Yolei reasoned. "That man who broke into their home might've attacked them and she retaliated. In the fight, she could've accidentally set the apartment on fire."

"Maybe the reason she's so strange is because she's traumatized." Kari said. "Who wouldn't be after losing their family?"

"And if she's the one who caused it maybe it left a bigger blow." Tai added.

"No matter what the reason, we now have some good information to talk to Rika about." Gatomon said.

Yolei sighed. "Now I actually feel sorry for her. I mean she lost her entire family in a single night. I know I would feel bad if I did something that caused me to lose everything I loved."

"I say we take what we got and we meet up with the others." Kari suggested. "We need to talk to Rika ASAP."

"If she won't talk to us at night then sooner rather than later would be best." Gatomon said, looking to the fading afternoon sun.

"I'll email the others." Davis said. "We'll use Izzy's computer to open a portal and get to the DigiWorld."

* * *

Matt, Izzy, T.K., and Cody tried to not look nervous when they entered the hospital. Even Patamon and Upamon started feeling fidgety in their trainer's arms. None of them knew what they would find at the hospital, but so far the school only gave them information they already knew. Hopefully the hospital could give them more answers.

"Hello." Matt greeted one of the receptionists. "We were wondering if you have the records of a Rika Yamada."

"What for?" the receptionist asked. She seemed barely older than 20 years old, with a disdainful if not bored look in her eyes.

"Well, we heard that she died some years ago." Izzy said. "But we have reason to believe a girl we just met is her. We were hoping to gain some more information before confronting her."

"Are you with the police or something?" the receptionist asked.

"We're just trying to be her friend." T.K. said with a smile.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Well, technically there's not receptionist-patient confidentiality agreement." She typed away on her computer, humming in thought. "Yeesh this girl's been here a lot. And our most recent picture shows she's only 8 or something."

"What was wrong with her?" Cody asked.

"Broken bones, a concussion, looks like normal injuries from soccer or some other sport." The receptionist said. "Are you looking for anything specific?"

"A major injury that required a hospital stay." Izzy said. "Approximately four years ago."

The receptionist typed away. "There we are; hey I think I remember this."

"You do?" T.K. blinked in surprise.

"I was in high school job shadowing my mom, she's a nurse here." The receptionist explained. "It was late one night when a boy in some sort of Halloween costume burst in through the doors carrying a small girl. He started shouting for help, saying his sister was hurt. It still makes me shudder to remember all the blood. The nurses came by and whisked the girl away. Her brother tried to follow but he needed to stay behind so the doctors could work on his sister." The receptionist sighed sadly. "The poor boy; he looked so close to having a panic attack. He wouldn't relax until the nurses let him go see his sister."

"That must've been Ukito." Izzy realized.

"Who was the doctor that worked on Rika?" Matt asked.

The receptionist stared at the computer screen for a moment. "Dr. Takahashi. Here let me call him."

Twenty minutes later the kids were introduced to a middle-aged man in a doctor's coat, blue scrubs, and a stethoscope slung around his neck. They settled down in one of the empty examination rooms to talk.

"Rika Yamada?" Dr. Takahashi nodded. "Yes I remember. Her brother, Ukito was his name? He brought her in seriously wounded. She bled so heavily I feared she was already dead when he brought her in. Anyway we took her in and put her into surgery. We had to sew her up and apply a lot of gauze to stop the bleeding. She still wouldn't wake up but she seemed stable enough. We put her in a room to rest and allowed her brother to come see her. The poor boy looked like he hadn't relaxed one second since bringing her in."

"Who _wouldn't _be so freaked out?" Cody said.

"If T.K. were in her position, I would be a mess." Matt admitted.

"We didn't think she'd make it." Dr. Takahashi admitted. "Her parents, grandparents, and brother stayed with her the rest of the night. The next day her grandparents took Ukito home. Surprisingly enough, Rika pulled through. She spent another night in the hospital before going home."

"What caused her injuries?" Cody asked.

"I'm not sure." Dr. Takahashi said. "Ukito said she was attacked, but couldn't go into details about it. Not even when the police came and questioned him. I guess he was pretty scared. I suppose the wound indicated she was stabbed or slashed."

"You suppose?" T.K. repeated. "You're not sure?"

"Well, it was a cut." Dr. Takahashi explained. "A little jagged, maybe the end of a whip. It was a really big cut and whatever hit her sliced right through her clothes and left a deep gash. But the thing that really made me wonder was the burn."

"Burn?" Cody cocked his head in confusion.

"The gash was surrounded by a burn mark." Dr. Takahashi said. "At first we joked that maybe her attacker used a flaming sword or something, but to this day we still can't explain it."

"Tell us, did she seem psychologically affected?" Izzy asked. "Started talking to herself at all?"

"Not that I knew of." Dr. Takahashi said. "I'm just surprised she actually survived. It was a miracle."

"How so?" Matt asked.

"Under normal circumstances, nobody would've survived a blow like the one Rika got, especially not a little kid." Dr. Takahashi said. He went to a computer and typed some things. "This is the picture we took to analyze her wound before wrapping it." Some minutes later a picture of Rika appeared. This time, she looked pale and absolutely ghastly, with a stitched-up wound running across her chest and blood trickling down either side of her body. The gash went from her shoulder and stopped at the bottom of her ribcage, and the red and raw skin around the cut indicated a clear and possibly third-degree burn.

"Wow." Izzy breathed. "How _did _she survive that?"

"We're not sure." Dr. Takahashi admitted. "But we didn't want to be ones to look a gift horse in the mouth."

The boys exchanged looks, and T.K. stared at the picture of the wounded Rika. _She looks like she's in so much pain. _T.K. thought. _What could she and Ukito have gone through to get so hurt? _T.K. jumped a little when his D-terminal beeped at him. "Kari just emailed me. We need to get going. Thanks Dr. Takahashi."

"You're very welcome." Dr. Takahashi said. "Best of luck to you guys!"

* * *

"You guys find much?" Patamon asked.

"Sort of." Gatomon said. "We think Rika may have fought with the man that broke into her home and that's how the fire started."

"At the school Rika's teacher told us she would talk to herself a lot instead of playing with the other kids." Matt said. "This happened soon after an attack that put her in the hospital."

"We also found out that she had a brother named Ukito and when they were younger they were attacked." T.K. said. "Rika was badly hurt and the hospital said it was a miracle she survived."

"We have some information that may force Rika to finally talk." Tai said. "It's going to be really hard for her to lie to us with this kind of information in mind."

"We need to head into the Digital World pronto." Davis said. "Rika will disappear when the sun sets and then we won't find her until tomorrow."

"Then we don't have much time." Izzy said, opening his laptop. "One Digi-port coming up!"

* * *

Rika shouted in effort as she stabbed her blade down, breaking the Dark Ring around the Gotsumon's waist. It burst into dust and the eyes of the Gotsumon stopped glowing red.

"Gee thanks kid!" the Gotsumon said with a smile.

Rika panted a little, but smiled and readjusted her hat. "Don't mention it. Now run along home."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice!" the Gotsumon laughed and he ran off.

The raven-haired girl shook her head and sheathed her sword. "Another day, another Dark Ring destroyed. I wish Ken hadn't made so many." She paused. "Only one more? You sure?" Pause. "Well okay. I trust you. But we gotta be careful. One of the last Digimon we fought was a nasty Monochromon." She started walking in a seemingly aimless direction. "What's wrong? You haven't been talking much." Pause. "Oh. That. I don't think I'll ever understand your logic." She looked down. "But I am sorry if my actions hurt you." Pause. "Clearly they are or you wouldn't be acting this way. Please talk to me." She waited, but no response came. Rika sighed, suddenly seeming exhausted. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with you."

"Hey Rika!"

Rika felt like she jumped right out of her skin when someone shouted her name and she turned to see Davis holding his head and Yolei glaring at him in irritation.

"Davis!" Yolei hissed so Rika wouldn't hear. "The whole point of sneaking up on her is to make sure she doesn't hear us!"

"Hey guys!" Rika greeted warmly as she approached. "Whatcha doin' in the bushes?"

"Nothing." Tai said. "We were actually looking for you."

"Rika this is Tai, my brother." Kari introduced. "And that's Matt, T.K.'s brother. And this is Izzy, a good friend of ours. The three of them were the DigiDestined before we were."

"Wow, cool!" Rika waved in greeting. "Did you guys have Digimon too?"

"Yeah, but that's not important." Izzy said.

"I think we're important!" Tentomon complained, earning him a bop on the head from Agumon and Gabumon.

"What's up?" Rika asked, her smile going to a confused frown.

"We wanted to ask you a few more questions." T.K. said, deciding it would be best to be honest from the start.

Rika's face showed no clear emotion, but everyone could tell she was a little irritated. "I thought I told you my past is not something I want to discuss."

"Well it's something we _need _to discuss." Matt insisted.

"Why?" Rika demanded.

"Because we want to be your friends but it's clear you're hiding something from us." Tai said. "It's not completely your fault, it's partially ours. We've had quite a lot of incidents where someone pretended to be our friend and turned out to be an enemy. If you're willing to talk to us, we'd be willing to answer any questions you might have."

"Well…" Rika looked down, the brim of her hat covering her eyes.

"Don't bother trying to hide it!" Davis shouted. "We did some investigating and now we know everything!"

_SMACK!_

"OUCH!" Davis whimpered.

"You are such an idiot!" Yolei shouted, having just slammed her fist into Davis's head.

"You did what?" Rika looked both shocked and very angry.

"Please don't be angry." Hawkmon pleaded. "We knew you wouldn't talk to us so willingly so we thought we'd find more information about you to have something to go on."

"We wanted so badly to know who you are that we had to go behind your back to find the answers." Armadillomon added.

"We're really sorry." Veemon finished.

For a moment, Rika looked ready to pull her sword on them. Instead, she just narrowed her eyes. "What did you find out?"

"You were very talented in school." Matt said.

"Your mom taught a cooking class." Tai said. "My mom was one of her students, you know."

"Your dad worked for a book publishing company." Kari said. "Your grandma went to knitting circles but other than that she and your grandpa were happily retired."

"You spent a lot of time in the hospital with sports injuries." Izzy said. "But you always managed to tough it out."

"You talk to yourself a lot." Veemon said. "Even when you were a little kid."

"Just from talking to you the past couple days we can see even more." Yolei said. "Like how strong and dedicated you are."

"And very talented with the martial arts and with that sword." Hawkmon added.

"You're kind." Cody said.

"Knowledgeable." Armadillomon said.

"Resourceful." T.K. said.

"Mysterious but friendly." Patamon added.

"Overall, a very exceptional human being." Gatomon finished.

"We think so too." Gabumon said. "Even though we haven't known you for very long."

Rika stared for a moment, the emotionless look back on her face. "Well it seems like you know all about me. So what questions could you possibly have?"

"Well we want to know who came to your apartment right before the fire started." Davis said.

"I don't know." Rika replied simply.

"Rika that fire took away your family and all the records in the Real World say that includes you." Tai said. "You being here proves otherwise. Surely you saw something."

"Well I didn't." Rika said, her fists beginning to clench.

"Then how did you survive?" Cody half-demanded.

"I can't tell you that." Rika growled.

"Why not?" Davis demanded.

"Because I was asked not to!" Rika snapped. "That's why!"

"Then tell us who told you not to tell." Kari requested in a kind voice.

Rika didn't answer for a moment. "I can't tell you that either."

"Did your imaginary friend tell you to say that?" Matt demanded.

Rika glared at him. "He's not imaginary! That's what everyone thought when I was a little girl but they were wrong! They were all wrong! He was never imaginary; they just couldn't see him!"

"Who is 'him'?" Tai asked.

Rika glared. "My brother."

The answer came as a bit of a surprise to the DigiDestined. "Your brother?" T.K. repeated.

"Are you being haunted or something?" Davis asked.

"No!" Rika snapped. "It's none of your concern. Just leave it alone."

"We can't, Rika." Yolei said.

"We're going to keep wondering and wondering about it until the truth comes out." Gatomon said. "Either from you telling us or from us finding it on our own. You can't run away from it."

"If you don't leave my past alone, then something bad is going to happen." Rika warned. "This is the only warning you'll get before you bite off more than you can chew."

"Rika." Patamon piped up. "You don't have to hide anything from us. We're your friends. You know you can trust us."

"I do know that." Rika said. "It's just—" A loud crashing sound interrupted her, and they all jumped when a spherical Digimon shot from the underbrush. The Digimon looked like a ball of metal with horns and a pair of arms with gloved hands. It looked as though its face was painted on: a pair of eyes with red irises and a sinister smile full of pointy teeth. In one hand the Digimon held a chainsaw and in the other a sort of ball with knobs that everyone suspected to be a bomb.

"Oh no it's Giromon!" Tentomon gulped. "He's a Machine Digimon whose Big Bang Boom attack will leave your ears ringing, if they don't get blown off that is!"

"Oh great." T.K. groaned. "Just what we needed."

"Maybe he'll just go away." Izzy said hopefully.

"Hey you stupid tin can!" Rika shouted. "We're trying to have a conversation here so scram!"

Giromon chuckled like a madman. _"Big Bang Boom!"_ He suddenly threw the red sphere in his hand towards the kids.

"_Blue Blaster!"_ Gabumon shot a stream of blue fire that hit the bomb and forced it to explode. Even from several feet away, the shockwave forced the kids and their Digimon to the ground.

"Great, now we've made him angry!" Tentomon cried.

"And he wasn't angry before?" Rika snapped, drawing her sword.

"Wait!" Tai grabbed Rika's arm to stop her from running into battle. "Let the Digimon handle this."

"We got it!" Patamon said.

"Yeah, come on guys!" Veemon cheered as the Digimon charged for Giromon.

"_Feather Strike!"_ Hawkmon threw the feather ornament in his headband, but Giromon used his chainsaw to knock it back.

"_Diamond Shell!"_ Armadillomon curled into a ball and shot towards Giromon.

"_V Head Butt!"_ Veemon jumped up and towards Giromon at the same time. But he and Armadillomon just ricocheted off Giromon and hit the ground.

"_Boom Bubble!"_ Patamon shot his biggest bubble.

"_Lightning Claw!"_ Gatomon came forward with her claws.

"_Super Shocker!"_ Tentomon put as much energy as he could into his electric attack. But even the three attacks combined did nothing.

"_Guillo Chainsaw!"_ Giromon threw his chainsaw, almost taking off the kids' heads before it came back like a boomerang.

"Guys, you gotta digivolve!" Matt urged.

"Right!" Veemon nodded.

"Let's go guys!" Gatomon urged.

Matt, Izzy, and Tai took out their Digivices and pointed it towards their Digimon.

"_Agumon digivolve to….Greymon!"_

"_Gabumon digivolve to….Garurumon!"_

"_Tentomon digivolve to….Kabuterimon!"_

"You guys are next!" Kari called as the second generation DigiDestined took out their D3s.

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to…..…Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge!"_

"_Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to…..Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to…..Nefertimon, Angel of Light!"_

"_Patamon Armor Digivolve to…..Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"_

"_Veemon Armor Digivolve to….Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"_

"Let's do this guys!" Flamedramon encouraged. _"Fire Rocket!"_

"_Tempest Wing!"_

"_Queen's Paw!"_

"_Aqueous Beam!"_

"_Gold Rush!"_

Giromon floated and shot around like a fly, dodging their attacks or deflecting them with ease. He launched a few more Big Bang Boom attacks, blasting the Digimon aside. Garurumon jumped up and bit down on Giromon like a dog with a toy ball, but suddenly the metal Digimon slammed into the ground with the wolf Digimon beneath him, forcing him to let go. Kabuterimon and Greymon launched simultaneous attacks, but he dodged them both.

"I grow tired of these games." Giromon chuckled. _"Deadly Bomb!"_

Suddenly, the small red bomb in his hand grew and grew until it was twice the size of himself. Before anyone could react, he shot it up into the air. It exploded far from them, but the shockwave and fire from the explosion forced them all to the ground and the smoke clouded their vision. When it settled, the Digimon dedigivolved to their Rookie Level forms and laid on the ground without much energy. The kids stared in horror. Giromon laughed and shot towards the closest Digimon, who happened to be Gatomon, and prepared to slice her in half with his chainsaw.

_CLANG!_

Giromon's smirk wavered when Rika's chisa katana prevented him from continuing his attack. The raven-haired girl glared hard, her dark lavender eyes burning. "Do _not _touch them."

Rika pushed Giromon's chainsaw away and performed a perfect front kick to what would be his chin if he had one. Even though she used the ball of her foot to prevent herself from breaking her toes, she still felt pain radiating through her foot. She hopped up and down on her good foot, growling at the metal Digimon.

"I'll show you you little punk!" Rika shouted. She jumped up as Giromon shot towards her. The girl used her sword to knock aside the chainsaw and then raised her sword for a second attack.

"No don't!"

Rika grunted when Cody suddenly tackled her to the ground. Giromon came down with his chainsaw but suddenly Armadillomon appeared, ramming into Giromon and slamming him into a tree. Armadillomon landed perfectly on his feet while Giromon slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Cody, Rika. You okay?" Armadillomon asked.

Rika growled and pushed Cody off her. "What in the name of the DigiWorld is wrong with you?"

"You were about to kill an innocent Digimon!" Cody snapped.

"I was not!" Rika protested.

"It certainly looked like it." T.K. said as the kids came to their Digimon. "We don't kill Digimon, Rika. That's important to keep in mind."

"I wasn't going to kill him!" Rika shouted, standing up and sheathing her blade. "I was going to take care of that stupid chainsaw of his."

"We wouldn't have needed to fight him if it weren't for you!" Davis snapped. "You just _had_ to shout at him didn't you?"

"You would've done the same." Rika countered. "You tried to trick Veemon into digivolving by picking fights."

"Is that why you and Ukito were attacked?" Cody demanded. "Because you were picking fights?"

Rika's eyes widened and her pupils and irises constricted in anger. "What do you know of Ukito?"

"We know you two were attacked by someone and you were the one who got hurt." Matt said.

"Why were you attacked?" Agumon asked.

"Was it because you thought you could take him down on your own?" Veemon asked, more out of innocence than accusation.

"You have _no idea _what I went through that day!" Rika screamed. "Or what Ukito went through!"

"If would just tell us none of this would be a problem!" Davis shouted. "Instead you have to keep secrets and all it does is show that you're an enemy! You don't care about us! I bet you didn't even care about your brother!"

The second those last words left his mouth, Davis realized what he said. Before he could react, Rika's fist suddenly met his face and he flew backwards and to the ground.

"Fine! If that's how you treat someone who just saved your life then I don't want anything to do with you anymore!" Rika turned on her heel, stomping away. "You don't want my help? Fine! Then don't expect me to come saving your butts again! You're on your own!" She broke into a run, darting between trees and leaping over roots. _You were right. Okay you were right. I never should've let them know who we were. I never should've revealed myself. I should've kept us in the shadows…..in the darkness…..where we belong._


	9. The Truth Comes Out

**The Truth Comes Out**

"Nice going, Davis." Kari groaned.

"I'm sorry!" Davis cried. "I know, I'm an idiot! But we have to find her!"

"Forget it." T.K. sighed. "We're never going to find her again. We've lost our only chance at gaining her as a friend."

"I'm really sorry." Davis groaned.

"Don't worry Davis." Tai reassured. "Based on what you guys said about her, I don't think it was going to be so easy to befriend her. I mean, her personality and mood jumps around like crazy; she's impossible to predict."

Everyone gave a collective sigh. "Well, you may have a point there." Hawkmon said.

"Maybe she doesn't want any friends." Gabumon suggested.

"I'm not so sure." Gatomon said. "Didn't you see her when Giromon came at me? She was so protective and looked so angry at him. It was like she was insulted that he even _considered _hurting me….or any of us. Even if she seems like she doesn't like us, I think all she wants is to protect us."

Gatomon's theory made everyone go quiet to think. It certainly made sense. However at that point just about anything made sense to them. While they knew much about Rika at that point, it seemed as though a few key details were still missing and until they found those details they knew next to nothing.

"Hey look at that!" Yolei's cry pulled them from their thoughts and they followed her point to a familiar ring-shaped piece of machinery several yards above their heads.

"I thought the Control Spires were out of commission!" Izzy said. "Why are the Dark Rings still working?"

"They don't need the Control Spires to work." T.K. said. "They're built to make a Digimon evil, obeying only the Digimon Emperor."

"Then we have to destroy it fast." Cody said.

"We're on it." Matt nodded. "Gabumon?" But before Gabumon could launch an attack to destroy the ring, the dark instrument shot down and clamped itself around Giromon's body. The metal Digimon's eyes shot open and then turned a heated red. He chuckled evilly as he floated off the ground, holding his weapons ready.

"DigiDestined." Giromon laughed. "Prepare to be destroyed! _Big Bang Boom!"_

Everyone jumped to one side as the bomb went off and almost blew them to bits. A long ways off, Rika suddenly paused and spun around with a gasp. "Oh no! They're in trouble! I knew I shouldn't have left them alone!" She turned back and sprinted through the trees, back towards the DigiDestined. "Hold on guys! I'm coming!"

"We can't beat him in our Rookie forms!" Tentomon cried as they dodged Giromon's chainsaw. "We have to digivolve!"

"But you guys don't have the strength!" Kari protested.

"We don't, but the others can Armor Digivolve no problem." Agumon said.

"Yeah we'll help how we can but it's up to you now!" Gabumon chimed in.

"You guys think you can do it?" T.K. asked. The Digimon nodded. "Okay then let's go!"

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to…..…Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge!"_

"_Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to…..Shurimon, the Samurai of Sincerity!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to…..Nefertimon, Angel of Light!"_

"_Patamon Armor Digivolve to…..Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"_

"_Veemon Armor Digivolve to….Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"_

Giromon shot forward with his chainsaw again, but this time the Digimon were ready. Shurimon used his shuriken hands to block the attack and Raidramon launched a lightning attack to knock the metal Digimon aside. Digmon shot his drills at Giromon and snared the handle of the chainsaw, pinning it to a tree. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon created their Golden Noose to capture the evil Digimon, but suddenly Giromon grabbed the ropes in his hands and shot forward like a rocket, causing the golden rope to tighten and force Nefertimon and Pegasusmon to crash together. Before they could come to their senses, Giromon used their own rope to tie their heads and necks together, shoving the Digimon into the ground.

"This is extremely uncomfortable." Pegasusmon groaned.

"You're telling me." Nefertimon agreed.

"_Big Bang Boom!"_ Giromon summoned another bomb and threw it towards the downed Digimon, but Raidramon and Digmon shoved them aside and the bomb hit the dirt. Shurimon quickly cut through the rope and freed his entrapped friends, all of them gathering together and glaring at the red-eyed Digimon before them.

Giromon chuckled evilly. "You cannot defeat me! Darkness will consume you all and you will die!" He laughed maniacally again, only to be cut off when a sharp projectile hit his head. While it didn't pierce or destroy him, it left a noticeable scratch, and Giromon growled as his attacker flipped and turned over his head and landed in front of the DigiDestined Digimon.

"Sorry to rain on your parade." Rika growled, tilting her hat out of her eyes. "But you're not doing any more destroying today."

"Rika!" Nefertimon gasped.

"I thought you said we were on our own." Tai said incredulously.

"Yeah I lied." Rika admitted. "Even though you guys make me angry I'm still obligated to protect you."

"You sure about this?" Shurimon asked. "It's dangerous."

Rika smirked. "_I'm _dangerous." She suddenly leaped forward, slashing her blade again and almost taking off one of Giromon's horns.

"Well? What are we doing just standing here?" Raidramon asked, running into battle. _"Thunder Blast!"_

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm with him!" Nefertimon jumped into the fight, the other Digimon fighting.

Meanwhile, the DigiDestined watched from the safety of the tree line, staring in awe. "Look at Rika go!" Gabumon breathed.

"She's so strong!" Agumon exclaimed.

"And fast!" Tentomon added.

"You have to wonder just how long she lived in the Digital World to gain the knowledge and power needed to fight Digimon." Yolei said.

"She said 'a while.'" T.K. said. "But I'm starting to think 'a while' might mean longer than we think."

"I know it's been said before but I'll say it again." Matt said. "That girl is really weird."

"She must have her reasons for keeping secrets from us." Kari said. "But I think she really just wants to be our friend."

"She did say she felt obligated to protect us." Tai said.

"But why?" Yolei asked. "We only met her a few days ago."

"And yet she's been watching us for much longer." Cody reminded them. "Why?"

No one had an answer; most of them were watching the battle intently to make sure nobody got hurt or to pull anyone away. _There's so much we don't know about her. _Kari thought. _So much she's hiding. And yet…I can't help but feel like I've seen her before. But where? When? What is it about this girl that seems so familiar? Like an old friend._

Rika shouted in pain as she hit the ground, having just been tossed aside by Giromon. She glared at the controlled Digimon, hate burning in her eyes. But then she noticed several tiny dots in the sky and a bright white circle that could only be the moon and stars. She looked to the horizon and could see the sun beginning to set, meaning she didn't have much time left. _I have to leave before…but no, I can't do that. Not when these guys are in the middle of a fight. They won't be able to beat him; they don't have as much energy since that last Deadly Bomb. But I can't….or can I? _"It's now or never." She spoke to no one in particular. "Make your decision."

Nefertimon crashed into the ground, dedigivolving back to Gatomon. She sat up, glaring and growling at Giromon**.** "Gatomon." The cat Digimon turned to Rika, who spoke, as the human knelt beside her.

"Yes?" Gatomon asked.

"I have something important to ask you." Rika said, staring at Giromonas the other DigiDestined Digimon fought him**. **"If your friend Wizardmon were here, if he stood right here beside you, would you be angry?"

Gatomon stared for a moment. "What are you talking about? Wizardmon's dead and he's not coming back."

"Humor me." Rika's tone went a little dark.

Gatomon looked down. "Of course I wouldn't be mad. I'd be happy. Wizardmon was my first and truest friend. He trusted me and protected me." She smiled softly. "If Wizardmon were here now, as a living Digimon and not a ghost, I'd give him the biggest hug I can give."

"_Big Bang Bomb!"_ Giromon launched two of his bombs at his opponents, blasting them away and forcing them to slam into the trees and hit the ground. The Digimon suddenly dedigivolved to their Rookie forms, much to the horror of their human partners.

Rika smiled warmly at Gatomon. "That's what I like to hear." She stood up and sheathed her sword, glaring at Giromonagain. "Everyone! Keep your Digimon back."

"What? Why?" Everyone gasped.

"I have something to tell you." Rika said. "Or, rather, I have something to _show _you. And I'm going to trust that you won't run away or get scared."

"Rika, what are you talking about?" T.K. asked worriedly.

Rika didn't answer. She stepped forward and stood several feet from Giromon**. **He chuckled evilly, but Rika remained unfazed. Everyone stared in horror as the evil Digimon shot down to strike Rika with his chainsaw.

The sun finally slipped beneath the horizon, and a circle of light burst forth to surround the raven-haired girl. Giromon reared back, screeching in shock and fear. The DigiDestined, human and Digimon alike, stared in shock.

"What's happening?" Kari asked worriedly.

"I think this is what Rika wanted to show us." Cody said. "This must be the reason she disappears before it gets dark out!"

Though the sphere shined with a golden glow, it was still translucent enough that they could see what happened. The sphere floated several feet off the ground, and Rika began to change. She held out her arms and the light passed over them, covering her bare hands and arms with brown gloves and cream-colored sleeves. She pulled her hands in and swiped them down, and a navy blue cape with strange white symbols on the inside flowed down her back with a cowl the color of her cape covering the bottom half of her face, clasped in the front with a skull-shaped pin. A pair of brown shoes with crescent moon buckles appeared on her bare feet, and from there the light continued on to change her pajamas into a cream colored jumper with strange red designs, zippers, and a red vest. She took her sword and sheath in her hand and it transformed into a wooden staff with a sun ornament on top. Her hair turned the color of straw. Rika reached up and pulled the rim of her hat down over her face….

….and when she lifted her head again she completed her transformation to Wizardmon.

Gatomon stared in shock and amazement. "Wizardmon…"

"It can't be!" Tai gasped.

"I thought he was a ghost!" Yolei breathed.

The light around Wizardmon died down, and he shot forward and straight into battle. _"Magical Game!"_ He cried, launching an attack at Giromonand knocking him backwards.

"And now for my final trick." Wizardmon reached into a pocket under his vest and pulled out a Digivice, the exact same design as the older generation's devices. _"Digi-Armor Energize!"_

Another bright light engulfed Wizardmon, and he started to change in form. His cape seemed to conform into a pair of wings, and his clothes changed to white and gold armor. His hat and cowl became a sort of helmet, his piercing green eyes showing through a pair of eyeholes.

"_Wizardmon Armor Digivolve to…..Dynasmon, the Angel of Darkness."_

Everyone gasped again. "He Armor Digivolved!" Davis breathed.

"And into Dynasmon no less!" Tentomon exclaimed in awe. "Pray he doesn't use his Breath of Wyvern attack or you'll be doomed for sure!"

"_Dragon's Roar!"_ Dynasmon pointed his palms towards Giromon, launching numerous red blasts that peppered Giromon relentlessly. The metal Digimon hit the ground, but shot up again and swung his chainsaw around. Dynasmon ducked, shooting his foot up and kicking Giromon like a soccer ball. Giromon shouted in surprise and a little terror as he spiraled upwards, high into the sky. The DigiDestined cheered, but jumped when another bomb exploded in the air, the shockwave pushing Dynasmon down a few feet. Giromon shot down fast, throwing his chainsaw at Dynasmon. The winged Digimon just moved out of the way, but didn't anticipate the weapon to spin around like a boomerang and slice past his arm, leaving a gash.

Dynasmon shouted in pain, glaring at Giromon. "Well I hope you enjoyed that because it's the last attack you'll land on me."

"I will destroy you!" Giromon shouted. _"Deadly—"_

"_Breath of Wyvern!"_ Dynasmon launched his attack first, and suddenly a light appeared above his head. The light manifested into the ghostly form of a dragon who roared loudly, making Giromon shake in fear. The dragon shot down, clamping its jaws around the Giromon. The metal Digimon shouted in pain as the power surged through him for several seconds. Then, the dragon disappeared and Giromon fell to the ground. Dynasmon dedigivolved back to Wizardmon and floated down to Giromon, marching up to the cowering ball of metal.

"Please have mercy!" Giromon begged. "I'm begging you!"

"Oh just hold still you big baby." Wizardmon droned, pointing his staff at the Digimon. _"Magical Game."_ Giromon shouted in terror, but the blue lightning attack just hit the Dark Ring around him, destroying it. Giromon blinked a few times and his glowing red eyes returned to normal.

"You aren't going to destroy me?" Giromon asked.

"Of course not." Wizardmon said it as though it were obvious. "I don't kill Digimon unless I know they're too dangerous to be kept alive. You're not dangerous; just a nuisance."

Giromon looked ready to protest, but then remembered the pain from Dynasmon and decided against it. "Uh, yeah, that's right! A nuisance! That's me!" He chuckled nervously.

"That's right." Wizardmon nodded. "Now run along before I drop kick you to the other side of the forest."

"Okie dokie!" Giromon chuckled nervously as he floated off. "Bye now!"

Wizardmon shook his head and turned to the DigiDestined, all of them staring at him in shock and a little awe. Wizardmon walked up to the kids and their Digimon, stopping in front of Gatomon. He looked down at the cat Digimon, unsure of what to say for a while. The Majin couldn't read Gatomon's expression, and he refused to read her thoughts. He greatly feared her reaction, knowing she searched for him these past few years only to find him as a ghost in Odaiba. Now he stood before her, unsure what to expect but hoping she didn't claw him.

"Gatomon." Wizardmon said, unable to say anything else.

Gatomon stared at Wizardmon, then her sapphire eyes glared at the ground. "It can't be. You're not here. You're dead, Wizardmon." She started pinching herself, tears building in her eyes from the sorrow and pain. "This is all just a dream. I have to wake up before I watch you die again. I have to wake up!"

"Gatomon." Wizardmon knelt down and took Gatomon's paw, stopping her from pinching herself. She gasped softly and looked up into Wizardmon's eyes, her mouth hanging open a little. "I thought you were a dream too." Wizardmon said. "When I fell out of the sky and crashed into that village, all I could do was lay there, too weak to move. Nobody came to help me. I would've died….had an angel not come to save me." He smiled warmly, placing a gloved hand between Gatomon's ears and rubbing her head affectionately. "I will always be grateful for your friendship, Gatomon. Thank you."

Gatomon finally seemed to realize that Wizardmon actually held her paw and rested his hand on her head, and he wasn't going right through her like a ghost. She whimpered a little, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Only now they were out of joy. "Wizardmon!" She cried, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Wizardmon held Gatomon close, happy tears disappearing into his cowl.

"Gatomon." Wizardmon sighed. "I've missed you." He looked up as Kari approached, crying tears of her own. "Kari. You're looking well."

Kari continued to cry, kneeling down to pull Wizardmon into a hug. "Wizardmon. You're here. You're really here."

"Wizardmon!" T.K. laughed, he and Patamon coming over to join in the hug.

"Welcome back, Wizardmon." Patamon laughed. Tai, Matt, Izzy and even Tentomon, Gabumon, and Agumon ran forward to join in. Wizardmon sighed happily, taking in the warmth of their welcomes.

In his head, he could hear the voice of Rika, and he swore he could see her smirking. _Told you they'd be happy._

_Oh shut up. _Wizardmon thought, only making Rika laugh.

* * *

After everyone settled down from the shock and made a fire to stave off the cold, Wizardmon could finally sit down with everybody and summon a ghostly form of Rika to rest beside him. Together, they told their story to the DigiDestined.

"I wandered around Odaiba for a while before a strange man came to me." Wizardmon said. "Somehow he was able to gather my scattered data bits and bring me back to life. He gave me this Digivice, tag, and Crest and told me to find the child they belonged to and be their Digimon partner." Wizardmon held up the items mentioned for everyone to see. The Crest in the tag was black as obsidian, with a crescent moon and a star symbol. "After three days I still didn't find much. Then I was attacked by some very drunk teenagers and suddenly Rika came to save me."

"I didn't do much." Rika shrugged. "Just pounded them into dust."

"Afterwards she took me to her home to help me heal." Wizardmon continued. "That same evening we discovered the Digivice and Crest reacted to Rika's touch, and I knew at once she had to be the DigiDestined I was searching for."

"Then my training began." Rika said. "Wizardmon stayed with me and my family and we found a way into the Digital World, where we learned how to use the Digivice to help him digivolve. One day we found a strange Digi-Egg, and that's how we found out about Armor Digivolving. It was really cool!"

"How did your family feel about this?" Tai asked.

"They were cool with it." Rika shrugged. "In fact, they loved having Wizardmon in the family. We decided that since Wizardmon already looked human enough we could pass him off as one if we wanted to go outside. Soon he became a regular part of the family, and thus my brother Ukito was born!"

"So it's Wizardmon who's your brother." Veemon guessed. "And Ukito is just a human name you gave him so nobody would suspect anything!"

"That's right." Wizardmon nodded.

"So how did you become fused together like this?" Davis asked.

"I would think you guys would know that considering you decided to stalk me." Rika smirked.

The DigiDestined laughed, albeit nervously. "All we know is that you were attacked and Ukito, or I guess Wizardmon, brought you to the hospital." T.K. said. "Do you know who attacked you?"

"No but I can say it was some sort of Digimon." Wizardmon said. "Probably a leftover Bakemon from Myotismon's attack. He attacked me and Rika while we were out and Rika was hurt badly. I managed to defeat the Digimon and flew Rika to the nearest hospital. But I knew from looking at her wounds that she wouldn't survive. I wasn't about to let her die because I got her mixed into such a mess. So I decided to give her my life by fusing my data and life force with hers."

"That must've been the miracle Dr. Takahashi talked about." Matt said. "Rika wouldn't have survived without you."

"But I'm afraid the spell was a little wonky." Wizardmon sighed. "I only had my magic and not the proper tools to make a potion to couple with it. Now, Rika and I share the same physical, spiritual, and mental state of being. During the daytime Rika's form comes out, and during the night I come out."

"That explains why Rika always disappeared when the sun went down." Armadillomon said.

"And why she always seemed to be talking herself." Patamon added. "She was talking with you, wasn't she?"

"That's right." Wizardmon nodded.

"I was a little too young to realize that what I was doing looked strange to people." Rika shrugged. Her face fell. "Wizardmon and I were happy the way we are now, and my parents and grandparents got used to it fast; they still called Wizardmon their son and everything. But then that fire happened…."

Everyone fell silent for a moment. "What happened?" Agumon asked timidly.

"When either Rika or I are spirits and not occupying our shared body, we have the option to sleep." Wizardmon explained. "Rika was asleep when it happened, and I was going to fly around for a bit. Just for the fun of it, that's all. While I was back in our room, I heard voices from the hallway, and then a fight broke out. Apparently whoever the man was he wanted me." He stared at the flames of the fire before him. "It all happened so fast. I just wanted him to leave but then the apartment caught fire in our battle. He killed Rika's parents and grandparents and I couldn't do a thing about it. I fought back how I could, but he was strong and I was angry. When we heard the voice of a third person, saying they were from the fire department, I knew I couldn't stay. So I ran away."

Gatomon noticed Wizardmon's eyes go glassy and she placed a comforting hand on his knee. "You did what you had to do. You would've died if you stayed there."

"I know." Wizardmon sighed.

"When we switched back the next day and I woke up, Wizardmon had to explain everything to me." Rika said. "He ended up flying so far that I couldn't tell where we were. But we knew that the man who attacked us would probably come back, and we immediately left for the Digital World. We've been here ever since. It was Wizardmon's idea to watch over you guys when you came along, just to make sure you were okay."

"You were always watching over us, weren't you Wizardmon?" Tai guessed with a smile. "Thanks."

Wizardmon smiled under his cowl. "I guess it's just in my nature to be protective of the people I care about."

"But who was the man that gave you the Crest and Digivice?" Kari asked.

"Not sure." Wizardmon admitted. "I never really saw his face. All he said was that this is the Crest of Darkness."

"Darkness?" Hawkmon repeated. "Oh my."

"We're not sure what it means." Rika said. "But we keep it around anyway." The other DigiDestined fell silent. Tai, Matt, T.K., Kari, and Izzy thought back to their Crests, and how each one symbolized their strongest character trait. So what did it mean if Rika's was darkness? "Well, we should probably get going." Rika said suddenly.

"Yeah we should too." Kari decided. "We're doing more cleanup work tomorrow. Wizardmon, Rika, you're welcome to join us."

"That'd be great!" Rika nodded. "Where should we meet?"

"How about at Tai and Kari's house?" Yolei suggested. "We can open a Digi-port there."

"I think Rika meant where we should meet in the Digital World." Wizardmon said.

"What are you talking about?" Veemon scoffed. "You're coming with us!"

"Guys, have you not been listening?" Rika said. "Wizardmon and I don't have a home in the Real World."

"You do now." Kari said. "You can stay with me, Tai, and Gatomon."

"We don't want to be any trouble." Wizardmon said. "We've lived in the Digital World long enough to be used to it."

"Nonsense." Tai said. "You guys need a better home than the forest and we're not taking 'no' for an answer. I mean, we may have to hide Wizardmon when it gets dark but we insist you come."

Rika and Wizardmon exchanged looks. "Well, only if we don't get in the way." Rika decided. "We'll find some way to pay you back."

"Don't worry about it!" Kari assured, smiling warmly. "Izzy, open up the Digi-port. We're going home. _All _of us."

Wizardmon smiled back at Kari. "Thank you. All of you; for understanding our situation."

"Well you guys are pretty strange." Davis shrugged, only to earn a smack on the head from Yolei.

"But hey, we're DigiDestined. Who ever said we were normal?" Yolei said, making everyone laugh.

* * *

"Just make sure you guys let me know when you're going to stay out so late." Kari and Tai's mother said.

"Okay Mom. Sorry." Tai said.

"Just so you know, some friends and I are going to be out for most of the day tomorrow." Kari said.

"Okay, just be safe." Mrs. Kamiya said. "Pack a lunch if you need it."

"Okay." Kari nodded. "Well I have to get up a little early tomorrow so I'm going to bed."

"Before you do that could you help me with something?" Tai asked. Kari nodded, smiling knowingly.

"Goodnight Mom!" the kids waved to their mother.

"Goodnight sweethearts!" Mrs. Kamiya said, waving from her spot on the couch.

Kari and Tai slipped into Tai's room, closing the door and jogging over to the sliding glass door to the balcony. Gatomon jumped from Kari's arms and ran to the edge, leaping to the railing. "Hey Wizardmon! Come on up!"

Within seconds, Wizardmon appeared before them, touching down on the balcony. "Thank you again for accepting me and Rika into your home."

"Where is Rika anyway?" Kari asked.

"She's asleep." Wizardmon said. "When we wake up tomorrow she'll take physical form again."

"Well okay then." Tai nodded. "You guys should get some sleep too. You've got a lot of work to do."

"And I guess you're not going to help us." Kari guessed with a smirk.

"Hey, I already saved the Digital World and cleaned up after myself." Tai raised his hands in defense. "You guys are the DigiDestined now; you do it."

"Whatever." Kari rolled her eyes, walking back towards her room with Gatomon walking beside her. Wizardmon chuckled and started to follow, but Tai stopped him.

"You know I never did get the chance to formally thank you." Tai said. "You risked a lot by betraying Myotismon and then gave your life to save my little sister."

"It was an honor." Wizardmon nodded. "And some of the first bit of good I had done in a long time."

"But why?" Tai asked. "Why would you give your life to a little kid you hardly knew?"

Wizardmon thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Maybe because she seemed to consider me a friend within the first few minutes I met her. Because she had this comforting aura that reminded me of someone I knew from long ago. And because Gatomon is my friend. Any friend of Gatomon is a friend of mine. Then again, think back to the first time you met your Digimon."

Tai thought for a moment, back when he first woke up in the Digital World and found Koromon almost nose to nose with him. "I guess I was pretty freaked out, but I had the strangest feeling he would be a great friend. So I trusted him." He smiled at Wizardmon. "I guess Kari just has that kind of personality that draws people in."

"I like to think so." Wizardmon nodded. "I do care for her, and so I will protect her."

Tai smiled. "Thanks, Wizardmon. You're a true friend."

"And you're an exceptional older brother." Wizardmon smiled.

* * *

"Sorry to force you in the closet but our mom doesn't really know about Digimon yet." Kari said, lying a Japanese futon mattress and pillow on the floor of her closet.

"Are you kidding? After sleeping in the dirt and trees for so long this'll be like sleeping in the bed of a king." Wizardmon settled down on the futon, but suddenly yelped in pain and pulled a sneaker out from under his back. "Only with more shoes."

Kari laughed, handing Wizardmon a blanket. "Sleep well, Wizardmon. I'm really glad to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Wizardmon nodded. He accepted Kari's last hug before she shut the closet door and left him to sleep. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and the blanket up to his chest, settling down for his first peaceful night's sleep in a long time.

Kari moved over to her bed and crawled under the covers. Only one thing seemed missing. "Gatomon?" She looked to the foot of her bed to see Gatomon standing on the railing, staring intently at the closet. "Hey Gatomon. Come on, let's get some sleep."

Gatomon gasped softly, as though jolted from her thoughts. She trotted over to Kari and curled up beside her human companion without a word. Kari would've asked what ran through Gatomon's head, but she figured the white cat was still in shock over seeing her long lost friend alive and well. So the brunette just laid down and stroked Gatomon's fur soothingly, both of them drifting off to their dreams.

* * *

"_Every time you look at me with those eyes I'll have to hurt you again!" Myotismon shouted. _"Crimson Lightning!"

Just stop. _Salamon wanted to scream at the vampire Digimon, but she feared it would only cause him to hurt her more. She closed her eyes and prepared for another strike._

"_Leave her alone!"_

_Suddenly, Salamon opened her eyes and found she changed into Gatomon. Wizardmon stood beside her and Myotismon in front of them, back on that island in Tokyo Harbor. Wizardmon shot forward, sending blue lightning from his staff. Myotismon deflected it and swung his Crimson Lightning whip, wrapping it around Wizardmon's throat. Gatomon tried to run to help, but suddenly found chains around her wrists and planted in the ground, preventing her from running to her friend. She watched, horrified, as Myotismon lifted Wizardmon into the air and slammed him into the ground repeatedly, the last blow causing blood to spew from his sewn mouth._

"_Stop it!" Gatomon screamed. "Stop hurting him!"_

"_You need to be taught a lesson." Myotismon said. "And if this helps you learn to not disobey me, then so be it. _Grisly Wing!_"_

_Those bats. Those bats haunted her almost as much as the one who always sent them. The little black creatures lifted the beaten and weak Wizardmon and held him over the waters to the harbor._

"_No please!" Gatomon begged. "Not that!"_

_But the bats suddenly released Wizardmon and he splashed into the frigid waters. He struggled to remain on the surface, but already it seemed some invisible force pulled him under._

"_Gatomon!" he cried. "Please help me!"_

"_Wizardmon!" Gatomon screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "NO!"_

* * *

Gatomon jolted awake, breathing heavily. _Just a dream. Just a dream. It can't hurt me. Wizardmon's alive. He's not going anywh— _She suddenly noticed movement and perked up when she saw Wizardmon at the door. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Just to get a glass of water." Wizardmon replied quietly.

"I'll come with you!" Gatomon leaped off Kari's bed and hurried over.

"I don't think it takes more than one Digimon to get a glass of water." Wizardmon chuckled.

"I insist." Gatomon said firmly. Wizardmon paused, but nodded and allowed Gatomon to follow him to the kitchen. The feline Digimon showed him where to get a cup and the water pitcher in the fridge. Wizardmon poured them each a glass and they quietly journeyed out to the terrace. They each took a chair at the small table, facing the open night air and just staring for a while. Gatomon looked over as Wizardmon pulled down his cowl and took a drink. The white cat stared at the black thread over Wizardmon's mouth, mesmerized. She could remember when she first saw the sewn mouth of the Digimon and her shock by it. With the cowl Wizardmon looked calm and peaceful, but just one look at the thread over his mouth and many Digimon, Gatomon included, thought he looked a little freaky if not monstrous.

Wizardmon noticed Gatomon's stare. "Something wrong?"

Gatomon jumped and turned away. "No."

The Majin Digimon stared at his feline friend. "I can tell you're lying."

"I don't want to talk about it." Gatomon turned her head from Wizardmon, staring at the ground.

Wizardmon stared at Gatomon for a moment before taking another drink. "It's good to actually talk to you again."

Gatomon didn't answer for a moment. "It's good just to see you again…..in person, and not in my dreams."

"Oh, so you've been dreaming of me?" Wizardmon said with a sly, teasing smirk. Gatomon stared at her water, hardly noticing the tears building up in her eyes. When Wizardmon saw this, his smile disappeared. "That was a joke, you know."

"I know." Gatomon sighed.

Wizardmon set his water down on the table and pulled his chair over to be next to Gatomon. "What's wrong? Why do you keep your emotions from me?"

"It's not that." Gatomon sniffed. "I just don't want to feel that pain anymore. They say dreams can't hurt you but whoever said that is wrong."

Gatomon tried to turn her face from Wizardmon again, but he gently turned it back to him. His eyes still held that permanent scowl look, but she could tell he was smile comfortingly. "Gatomon. I'm your friend. Talk to me."

The white cat Digimon averted her eyes, trying but failing to stop her tears. "I had to watch you die. You took the attack meant for me and you died right in front of my eyes." Gatomon sniffed, tears pouring down. "And then I would get nightmares when I had to watch you die again and again. Each time it felt like Myotismon's Crimson Lightning hit me right in the heart. I'm so scared that this is all a dream right now and I'll wake up to find you gone again. I don't want to feel that pain anymore; it hurts more than any torture Myotismon inflicted on me." She started crying softly, her fists clenched. If she hadn't set her glass down she might've broken it.

Wizardmon stared sadly for a moment before lifting Gatomon up and holding her close, gently rubbing her back and letting her cry into his shoulder. "Gatomon. It's all right. I promise you this isn't a dream. Even though I can only come out at night, I can assure you I am very much alive." He lifted his gloved hand to Gatomon. "See? Nice and solid. Not a ghost." Gatomon, still crying, reached over and took Wizardmon's hand, gasping softly when she actually grabbed it. She rubbed her head against the gloved hand, purring softly. Wizardmon smiled and gave his friend a reassuring squeeze. "I'm right here, Gatomon. And I promise I'll never leave you like that again."

"Thank you Wizardmon." Gatomon continued to sob softly. "For being such a good friend."

* * *

**A/N: there's a really good picture of Kari and Gatomon's reunion with Wizardmon on Google; search "Kari, Gatomon, Wizardmon reunion"**

**Also, I realize I haven't updated in a long time. Sorry about that. But bear with me! I'm working on two stories at once here**


	10. If I had a Tail Hammer

**Episode 24: If I had a Tail Hammer**

Ken ate quietly with his parents, staring at his food until it was finally gone. He set his bowl down, feeling quite full after such a meal.

"So tell us, how was soccer?" Mrs. Ichijōji asked her son.

"Um…..I did okay Mom." Ken said. He wouldn't tell them that he didn't do as well as he used to during practice today. He figured it was just because he was still a little exhausted from his journey in finding his heart.

"Some more rice?" Mrs. Ichijōji offered.

"It's really important that you eat well." Mr. Ichijōji said. "For your brain and body. You may not see it, but you're growing all the time, son."

Ken wanted to refuse; he already felt full enough. But he also didn't want his parents to worry about him anymore. "I'll…have another half a bowl please."

He noticed his mother's face seem to brighten. "Sure!" she immediately took his bowl and walked over to put more rice in it. "Oh Ken, tomorrow's soccer practice has been postponed." Ken nodded in understanding. He smiled softly, happy to see his parents no longer upset. But he still felt uncertain of so many things. He found his heart and Wormmon, although now the caterpillar Digimon was in his in-training form as Minomon. Ken didn't have the slightest clue about how he would approach the other DigiDestined, if he would at all. And then there was Rika, apparently the DigiDestined of Darkness. Was she going to take his place as the evil Digimon Empress? And where was Wizardmon in all this? Did Rika shove him aside like he did Wormmon?

When Ken finished his food he excused himself to go to bed, all his questions still very much unanswered. Minomon peered up from Ken's bed when he heard his partner sigh. "What's the matter? What is it, Ken?"

Ken didn't want to bring up his questions to Minomon in fear of worrying him. "Nothing really. I just ate too much at dinner."

"That doesn't sound like you." Minomon said.

"Normally I just eat one bowl." Ken reasoned. "But my folks seem concerned. So I ate a little more than I usually do."

"You ate more for your parents?" Minomon summarized.

"Who would've ever thought that?" Ken smiled at his Digimon. "Boy were they happy. I might have to start eating like this every day."

"Uh oh. In that case there's only one thing to do." Minomon suddenly began bouncing on Ken's bed, laughing excitedly. "Jumping jacks! Whoo-hoo! Come on, Ken! Feel the burn! Crunch those abs!"

Ken stared at his Digimon for a moment before laughing along with him. "All right, all right! You're buff enough! Let's get some sleep!"

Minomon finally stopped bouncing but didn't fully calm down until Ken could pull on his pajamas and crawl into bed with him. Ken laid down and Minomon snuggled up next to him, sighing contently. The boy and his Digimon each smiled as they drifted off to sleep.

However, Ken, didn't sleep long when he heard a voice, very soft but sounding urgent.

"_Ken! Ken, wake up! You have to wake up Ken you're in danger! Wake up!"_

Ken moaned a little as he opened his eyes. _Wizardmon? _He heard some sort of beeping sound from his computer and sat up to stare at it. He noticed a figure standing at his computer, but his vision was so blurry he could only make out an hourglass figure and long hair. "Rika? Is that you?"

"Are you _really _that stupid?" the figure demanded, not sounding at all like Rika.

Ken's eyes finally adjusted and he gasped, waking Minomon. "What is it, Ken?"

"Hey who are you?" Ken snapped. Minomon followed his look and noticed the strange woman.

"Emperor, are you having trouble sleeping?" the woman asked. "That's because you're through."

"What?" Ken breathed. "Who…..who are you?"

"You are just so useless." The woman sighed, raising her head a little to show a pale face, lipstick covered lips, and dark purple sunglasses.

"What're you talking about?" Ken demanded. "And what do you think you know about me?"

"You had so much potential." The woman seemed to be pitying the boy.

Suddenly, the room was bathed in the light of the computer and shadows of words covered his room. A voice came from the computer, as though reading a letter. In fact, the voice read the words on the walls of Ken's room.

"_Ken you had a chance for true greatness. To rule in infamy forever. And you wasted it. How unfortunate."_

The light of the computer suddenly shut off, and when Ken's eyes adjusted again he discovered the woman gone. "I-is she gone?" Minomon trembled a little. Ken didn't answer for a moment. Who was this strange woman? Why did she come to him? More importantly, how did she know who he was?

"I hope so." Ken breathed.

* * *

Gatomon's breathing stayed even as she slept, but she could feel herself waking up. As comfortable as she felt right now, she knew they had a long day of work ahead of them. _Well, I suppose I should get up. _She stretched, yawning deeply.

"Good morning."

Gatomon's eyes shot open and she yowled in surprise at the sight of Rika's smiling face. Rika yelped too, leading to the two of them jumping and then crashing to the floor. Seconds later, Kari threw open the closet door.

"What happened?" Kari asked.

Gatomon blinked, trying to remember. She talked with Wizardmon last night and then they went to sleep with her curled up on his chest. Then she woke up and now he's… "Gatomon."

The three of them turned to see a ghostly Wizardmon standing beside Kari. Gatomon stared, feeling her heart beginning to break. "Gatomon, it's okay." Wizardmon soothed. "I told you, I can only take a solid physical form at night."

Gatomon looked down. "Right. I'll remember that."

Wizardmon nodded and disappeared, back into Rika. Sensing Gatomon's distress, Rika cleared her throat. "Well, the Digital World isn't going to clean itself up. Let's get going."

"Yeah." Kari agreed, helping Rika out of the closet.

"Okay." Gatomon nodded, following them. _He's still alive. I just have to remember that. Wizardmon is still alive._

* * *

Once everyone gathered at Primary Village, they immediately got to work with rebuilding. Yolei, Rika, and Kari began painting some of the finished buildings.

"Yolei, Rika, I'm so tired of lifting this paintbrush my whole body is shaking." Kari sighed.

"I don't think that's you." Rika laughed as ExVeemon stomped by.

"Oh, never mind." Kari laughed.

"Hey Wizardmon, why don't you float around see how everyone is doing?" Rika suggested.

Wizardmon's spirit manifested beside Rika. "I don't see why not. At least then I'll _feel _productive." He flew off, observing the other DigiDestined working. T.K. worked on some construction, nails pinched between his lips and hammering away. But he managed to pause in his work to ask Wizardmon to tell Davis he needed wood. The Majin nodded and continued on. He saw Halsemon, Nefertimon, and Pegasusmon flying some wood over to T.K. and Cody and Digmon drilling away to the pipelines under the town. Davis shouted encouraging words along with some orders while carrying a wooden beam over his shoulder.

Wizardmon floated down to the boy. "T.K. need some wood over there, Davis."

"You know you _could _help out a little." Davis said.

"I'm pretty much a ghost when the sun is up." Wizardmon protested. "I can't even pick up a hammer without it slipped through me."

"Some excuse." Davis huffed as he kept walking.

"Really! I go through anything solid." Wizardmon insisted. "Watch."

Davis was about to ask what Wizardmon meant when the Digimon suddenly appeared right through his chest, making faces at the boy. Davis shouted in terror and fell to the ground, much to the amusement of Wizardmon and pretty much everyone else. The brunette boy narrowed his eyes. "What're you laughing at?"

"You, what else?" Wizardmon laughed again before shooting off to join Rika, Yolei, and Kari.

Davis grumbled to himself as he lifted the wooden beam he dropped. "I liked him better when he was solid."

They worked all through the day and by the time the sun began to set Primary Village looked much better than it did before. The Digimon dedigivolved down to their Rookie forms, tired like their human partners.

"Well that was a good day's work." Davis commented.

"Yeah, good work everyone!" Yolei complimented.

"We painted everything in sight and some things that weren't." Kari chuckled.

"And Davis almost strained his voice from shouting orders." Yolei joked, though she seemed to hint disappointment by not having Davis's voice go out.

Kari sighed a little sadly. "You know even with fresh paint and some new roofs, Primary Village still seems kind of sad."

"You're right." Gatomon said sadly.

"It's going to take some work." Rika agreed. "But so far we're all doing very well."

"Maybe a cute carpenter will come by." Yolei said.

"If one shows up the only place he's going is to work." Cody said.

"I volunteer to be his helper!" Yolei offered.

_I'm not sure I'll ever understand human girls. _Wizardmon thought, his voice echoing in Rika's mind.

_You will someday. _Rika assured with a smile.

"Boy that jerk really left the Digital World in a big mess, didn't he?" T.K. said.

"Hey listen it's not my fault." Davis defended. "I'm doing the best I can."

"I was talking about Ken." T.K. said. "Not you, Davis."

"Oh." Davis said. "Never mind."

"No harm, no foul." T.K. sighed.

Kari stared off into the distance, thinking intently. "You gotta wonder: what is he up to now? Is he just playing with us that we think he's nice?"

"Well if he really _is _nice he'd be here just like us, cleaning this place up." Davis reasoned.

"That's for sure." Veemon agreed.

"But Ken's not coming back to the Digital World anymore, uh right?" Yolei asked.

"One wouldn't think so." Hawkmon nodded.

"Yeah I don't think the Digimon could forgive him for what he did." T.K. reasoned.

"That's for sure." Cody growled.

Armadillomon turned to his partner. "You sound mad."

"Well you're right." Cody admitted. "I can't forgive him either. Not ever!"

"I think you guys are being too hard on him." Rika said. "The poor guy didn't know any better."

"You're just saying that 'cause you dated his brother." Davis laughed, only to have Rika punch his arm.

"You know that mouth of yours is going to get you into big trouble someday." Rika droned.

"Well let's get back to the Real World." Davis suggested. "I'm starving!"

"Of course you are." Rika shook her head.

"Great idea!" Veemon agreed with Davis.

"Davis Party of One. Let's get going." Yolei said.

* * *

Back in the Real World, the DigiDestined split off to go home or, in Cody's case, to a kendo lesson. Rika, Kari, and Gatomon made it back to the Kamiya residence just in time for Rika and Wizardmon to switch. Kari managed to help Rika sneak in and the raven-haired girl darted into her friend's closet just as the sun slipped away and gave way to night. Kari ate dinner with her family and then brought some food in for Gatomon and Wizardmon to eat in her room. When they finished, Gatomon requested a story before going to bed, so Kari pulled out one of her old fairytale books and turned to one of her favorites, adjusting it slightly for her feline friend.

"And then Catpunzel would let down her Persian hair so he could climb up." Kari said, pointing to a picture of a lone castle tower. Gatomon and Wizardmon stared at the book over her shoulders, listening intently.

"I can't imagine having hair so long." Wizardmon said. "It must get tangled too easily."

"Says the Digimon with such beautiful golden locks." Gatomon teased.

Wizardmon rolled his eyes. "I believe the story is called 'Catpunzel', my feline friend. As a matter of fact….." He suddenly picked up Gatomon and tossed her on top of Kari's bunk bed.

Gatomon yelped as she landed on the comforter, looking over the edge of the bed to frown at Wizardmon. "Hey!"

"Oh Catpunzel, so young and frail, let down thy purple-ringed tail!" Wizardmon teased, making Kari laugh.

Gatomon smirked. _I'll show you who's frail. _"Okay here it comes!" She suddenly threw one of Kari's pillows at Wizardmon, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey!" Wizardmon snapped, frowning at the cat. "Just wait until I get up there!"

"You'll never catch me!" Gatomon boasted. "By the time you get up here I'll be on the ground and there's nothing you—" She paused when she suddenly found Wizardmon right in front of her, floating off the ground. "Hmm….forgot you could fly." She took Kari's other pillow and swung it around, hitting Wizardmon in the head and knocking his hat off.

"Oh now you're gonna get it!" Wizardmon darted after Gatomon as she ran, raising his pillow with the express intent of continuing their fight. "Don't think that just because you're a girl I'm going to go easy on you!"

"Would both of you stop it?" Kari tried to sound serious but she couldn't stop laughing. Suddenly, Gatomon leaped off the wall and tackled Wizardmon, knocking him out of the air and on top of Kari. The three of them laughed again until Kari's mom knocked on the door.

"Kari sweetheart, what are you doing in there?" Mrs. Kamiya asked.

"Nothing Mom!" Kari called, slapping her hands over Gatomon's and Wizardmon's mouths. "Just watching a funny movie!"

"Well then put some headphones in!" Mrs. Kamiya requested. "We have neighbors and it's late."

"Okay!" Kari called, not removing her hands until her mom's footsteps faded away. "You heard her guys; we should probably get to bed anyway."

"Fine." Gatomon nodded. "But we'll pick up again soon and then I'll show you how it's done."

"I grew up with five other Digimon that were like my own siblings." Wizardmon countered. "Clearly you underestimate me."

Kari rolled her eyes and herded the two of them to their respective beds. "Okay that's enough trash talk. Both of you to bed now." The two Digimon obeyed, settling down in their beds for a good night's sleep.

"Goodnight Gatomon. Goodnight Wizardmon. Goodnight Rika."

"Goodnight Kari. Goodnight Wizardmon. Goodnight Rika."

"Goodnight Kari. Goodnight Gatomon. Goodnight Rika."

Rika's spirit appeared briefly, smiling at her friends. "Goodnight everyone. Sleep well."

* * *

Going back to Primary Village, the DigiDestined discovered what looked like a tribe of baby Digimon to greet them, looking very happy to see the kids and their Digimon partners.

"We have new friends." Davis blinked in surprise.

"They're called Punimon." Rika said.

"Let's play!" the babies called simultaneously. "Let's play!"

"Well they sure weren't here yesterday." Cody said.

"Maybe it's because yesterday we rebuilt the nursery school." Armadillomon said.

"No way!" Davis gasped. "That was a nursery school?"

"Yeah." Cody said, a little befuddled by Davis's outburst.

"So logic dictates they were all students there." Hawkmon said, gesturing to the Punimon.

"I gotcha." Yolei said. "So we restore things to the way they were and then all of the Digimon will return as well." The Punimon jumped and cheered as though to confirm it.

"Right." T.K. nodded. "So let's keep working."

Davis winced at the babies' cheers. "They're a major pain."

Kari knelt down to cuddle with one of the Punimon, smiling. "Aw, they're cute."

"Really cute." Rika giggled as she knelt down. Several of the Punimon tried to jump up on her.

Davis suddenly smiled. "Oh…they're so sweet!"

Veemon crossed his arms. "That's not what you said a second ago!"

Davis frowned a little, but pulled out his Digivice to prepare Veemon for Digivolution. "Veemon, let's give this our best shot today! You know what to do!" He activated his Digivice, and Veemon prepared to get bigger.

"_Veemon digivolve to….."_

But Veemon was still the same Rookie-level Digimon, hardly changed at all. "Uh oh."

"And what was that all about?" Davis demanded. "You gotta try harder! Digivolve!" But even on the second try Veemon couldn't do it.

"I guess my bio-rhythm's off today." Veemon said sheepishly.

"This doesn't make sense." Davis frowned. "You ate a ton and you digivolved fine yesterday."

Veemon growled in frustration. _"Why can't I digivolve? Tell me whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" _Everyone watched him freak out for a moment before the blue dragon Digimon finally stopped screaming. "I'm done."

"Maybe you're just tired." Davis suggested. "Maybe it's some kind of Digi-jet lag."

"Is there any chance you ate some bad chocolate?" Hawkmon asked.

"Nope." Veemon shook his head.

"Maybe chicken soup might help." Armadillomon offered.

"But his stomach's full. He ate four TV dinners for lunch." Davis protested.

"Maybe he overate." Yolei said.

"It's certainly possible." Rika agreed. "A Digimon with imperfect health can't digivolve very easily."

"I got it!" Davis announced. "He hasn't fought so long that he's rusty. It's like he's totally out of shape when it comes to digivolving. That must be it! Glad I thought of it!" He knelt down and hugged Veemon. "You just need to relax. And do something to take your mind off of this."

The other children and their Digimon exchanged knowing glances, coming to a silent, mutual agreement they knew Davis probably wouldn't approve. But they nodded and Yolei stood up. "We have decided that both of you need a break from all this hard work. So guess what? They're going back to work while the four of us rest."

"Great." Cody agreed.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything." Davis said. "But I could use a little nap myself."

"We're gonna go outside of town. We have to check something out." T.K. told them as he and Kari walked off with their Digimon.

"We'll be back in about an hour." Kari added. "Come on, Rika. You come too."

"Okay." Rika nodded, jogging after them.

"Hey, I could use a little walk." Davis protested.

He hardly finished his sentence when Yolei came to him. "Hey, I got a great idea! I know something we can do that's really relaxing!"

"Yolei….." Davis whined.

* * *

Out in the forest, Kari, T.K., Patamon, Gatomon, and Rika tested Kari and T.K.'s theory. Gatomon already tried to digivolve to Angewomon, but even with numerous tries she still remained a cat.

"No go for Gato." Gatomon's ears drooped in sadness.

"I'm sure we'll be able to figure it out." Wizardmon assured, wishing he didn't pass through everything so he could properly comfort his friend.

"All right, Patamon, you try it." T.K. said. "Go ahead, give it your all!"

"Right." Patamon nodded, concentrating hard. T.K. activated the Digivolution with his D3.

"_Patamon digivolve to….Patamon….."_

Patamon whined a little, matching Gatomon's glum look. "I need a break."

"We're not amateurs like Veemon." Gatomon huffed. "What's going on?"

"It's pretty strange." Kari agreed.

"What about you, Wizardmon?" Rika asked. "I know you can't digivolve now, but do you feel weird at all?"

"I do feel a strong, dark energy." Wizardmon said. "It feels like it's restricting my strength and power."

T.K. shook his head and then turned to look at the Control Spire in the distance. "I thought the Control Spires were knocked out of commission when Ken left. But this just makes me think they might be active again."

"Looks pretty active to me." Rika noted. "Should we check it out?"

"No." Kari said. "Our main focus is Primary Village."

Rika gasped softly, feeling Wizardmon's aura tense up. "Wizardmon, you okay?"

Everyone looked to the humanoid Digimon, who had his fists clenched and looked in pain. "I'm fine. I just feel something."

"Feel something like what?" Kari asked.

"Like the evil aura that radiates off evil Digimon." Wizardmon said.

"You can feel that?" Patamon asked.

"Just like how I have the ability to read minds, I can also sense auras and energies." Wizardmon explained. "All living creatures radiate with auras that can change and fluctuate based on emotions or strength of the creature. Some Digimon like myself are able to feel these auras. It's useful when reading minds or if you feel like you're being watched."

"When Wizardmon and I became fused as we are, I gained this same ability." Rika said. "I can sense Wizardmon's emotions based on his aura because it radiates within me."

"So what does it mean if you feel such a strong, evil energy?" Patamon asked.

"I'm guessing it's not good." T.K. said.

"You're right, T.K." Wizardmon nodded. "You once said that the reason you're all allowed to return to the DigiWorld is because you're still needed for something. If I'm right about this evil aura I'm feeling, then perhaps the reason the DigiDestined are still needed is because the danger has not left this world."

"So a new enemy might be coming." Rika guessed.

"Or worse." Kari corrected. "Maybe it's already here."

That last comment made them a little more nervous, but they managed to push it aside and decided to return to the others. When they returned to Primary Village they discovered Davis and Veemon doing a surprisingly good job entertaining the baby Punimon with a soccer-like game. Yolei and Halsemon watched off to one side, smiling.

"We're back, Yolei." Kari greeted.

"Looks like they're having fun." T.K. chuckled towards Davis, Veemon, and the baby Digimon.

"I told Davis to watch the little ones, though I'm not sure who's watching who." Yolei joked.

"What a great idea." Kari complimented. "This way Davis gets a chance to boss around someone else besides just us."

"Very resourceful, Yolei." Rika nodded.

"So give me the 4-1-1." Yolei requested. "Were you able to digivolve?"

"Nope." T.K. said. "I think the Control Spires are what's keeping them from digivolving. So we gotta find a way to prove my theory. Where's Cody anyway?"

"Still working in the water pipes below the village." Yolei said, gesturing down to the ground.

"Wizardmon and I will go see if he needs help." Rika said, jogging off with Wizardmon's spirit floating beside her.

Below the village, Cody and Digmon worked for the past hour but it seemed they only left a dent in the cleanup process.

"Boy the Emperor sure left a mess here." Digmon groaned. "Everything's been buried. Well, we got a lot to do. I guess we better get started Cody." No response came from the boy on his back. "Cody?"

Cody gasped softly, abruptly brought back from his thoughts. "Uh, yeah let's get to work Digmon."

"Hey Cody! Digmon!"

Digmon and Cody turned to the one calling them. "Oh hey Rika. Hi Wizardmon."

"We came to help out!" Rika announced.

Suddenly, Wizardmon tensed up with a gasp. _That energy. It's back! _"Cody! Get down!"

"What?" Cody suddenly gasped in pain when something shot past his face, leaving a shallow cut in his cheek.

"Cody!" Rika gasped, quickening her pace to reach the boy. The four of them turned to the creature that suddenly appeared: a metal ball with arms and legs, a pair of eyes, a mouth in a permanent scowl, and a lightning bolt shape on his head.

"It's Thundermon!" Digmon realized. "He's a highly charged Digimon who's electrifying! But what's shocking about this pint-sized powerhouse is that he packs a ten million volt wallop!"

"Well why the heck is he attacking us?" Rika demanded. "And what the heck is he doing down here?" Suddenly, Thundermon began to almost ricochet around the tunnel, swiping at Cody, Digmon, and Rika. Wizardmon lucked out, being intangible, but wished he could do something to stop Thundermon from attacking.

"I don't understand; why is he attacking us?" Cody asked. "He's not being directed by a Control Spire or wearing a Dark Ring!"

"This really isn't making much sense!" Rika said. "Thundermon are known to live in caves but they're not territorial!"

"I just don't get it." Digmon agreed. "What should we do?"

_I'm not sure if we should fight. _Cody wouldn't say it out loud, but quickly realized they were running out of options. Thundermon launched one of his electric attacks, blowing out the top of the tunnel and letting the light from outside shine in. Digmon suddenly dedigivolved to Armadillomon and he and Cody hit the ground. The shockwave forced Rika to the ground as well, and she scurried this way and that to avoid the falling rocks and debris. Cody pushed himself upright, glaring at the ground. _This is ridiculous. He's attacking us for no reason. I've had enough. _"Hey! We haven't done anything! Stop it!"

More rocks came cascading down, and Thundermon moved in for another attack. Rika saw an exceptionally large rock fall straight towards the smaller boy. "Cody! Watch out!" She lunged forward and put herself between the rock and her friends. Cody suddenly hugged the girl, squeezing his eyes shut. _We're in big trouble!_

_Cody! Rika! I won't let you get hurt! _Armadillomon suddenly felt a new power coursing through him, his desire to protect Cody almost overwhelming. Cody's D3 began glowing brightly, and soon that glow enveloped Armadillomon.

"_Armadillomon digivolve to…..Ankylomon!"_

When the light died down, Thundermon tried to drill into the arm of what looked like a really big, adult form of Armadillomon. "That's enough!" Ankylomon shouted, throwing Thundermon aside.

Cody and Rika, sitting in one of the large Digimon's paws, stared in shock. "You…..digivolved!" Cody gasped.

"What happened? Why did I digivolve, Cody?" Ankylomon wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Cody admitted. "Now I'm really confused. Veemon can't digivolve but you're at the Champion Level."

"Anyway I think we'd better go above ground now." Ankylomon suggested.

"I agree." Wizardmon nodded.

"Right." Cody and Rika agreed. Ankylomon lumbered up and out of the hole to the surface, gently setting down the two human children.

"Now you'd better take cover." Ankylomon suggested.

"Wait!" Cody cried. "Ankylomon, don't tell me you're gonna fight!"

"Nah, I'm just gonna drive him away." Ankylomon turned to where Thundermon landed, but didn't see the electric Digimon there. Suddenly, Thundermon burst from the ground, carrying a large load of rocks and Cody with him! "Cody!" Ankylomon shouted.

Cody shouted in terror, not going quiet until he felt an arm wrap around him and stop his speedy travel. He looked up and discovered some sort of giant insect-like Digimon, who looked menacing but seemed nice enough if he saved the boy. The large green Digimon turned as Thundermon came roaring in, but the green Digimon swooped down to Ankylomon.

"Here!" the Digimon dropped Cody into Ankylomon's paw and darted away as Thundermon chased him.

"Are you okay, Cody?" Rika called.

"I'm fine!" Cody called back. "The one that caught me, who is he?"

"Never seen him before." Ankylomon said. Cody turned as the other DigiDestined approached, having heard the commotion and came to see if their friends were okay. "We're both fine!" Ankylomon affirmed.

"That's good news." Yolei said. "But….uh…."

"So Cody, is that Digmon?" Halsemon voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Yes. Armadillomon at the Champion Level." Cody confirmed.

"He digivolved?" Kari breathed.

"Unbelievable!" Davis sighed in awe. Everyone turned their attention to the green Digimon fighting the Thundermon above their heads, watching as the latter zipped around like a fly.

"Who's the Digimon up there?" Patamon asked.

"Nobody knows." Ankylomon said.

"That big green one helped us out." Cody said. "In fact he really saved my life."

T.K. looked to Wizardmon. "Well Wizardmon, you're the aura reader. What can you tell us?"

Wizardmon closed his eyes in concentration. "That Thundermon is radiating with the same evil energy I felt out in the forest. But I sense something else…something strange about it. It's hard to identify."

"And the big green one?" Rika asked.

"He has a more positive aura." Wizardmon assured. "He's a good guy."

Then, a sort of blade made from a purple-pink laser appeared on the green Digimon's wrist. _"Spiking Strike!"_ He shot forward, nailing the Thundermon and forcing it to dissolve into nothing.

Davis gasped. "What did he just do to Thundermon?"

"He was…vaporized." Yolei gasped.

The green Digimon floated down several feet, staring at the DigiDestined. Everyone waited tensely, wondering what he would do next. Wizardmon stared at the Digimon in a contemplating gaze. _Rika, did you feel what I felt with that Thundermon?_

_It didn't feel right. _Rika's thought, communicating only with her Digimon. _Almost…..fake._

_Like it wasn't a real Digimon. _Wizardmon confirmed.

"Look up there!" Kari pointed to the roof of a nearby house, and everyone followed her point to see…

"Ken?" Davis gasped. "It just can't be."

"What is he doing in the DigiWorld?" Kari demanded. They all jumped when the green Digimon shot past them, stopping behind Ken and dedigivolving to a smaller green Digimon that floated into his partner's arms.

"Wormmon?" Davis gasped again.

"Ken's back?" T.K. blinked in surprise. "And Wormmon can digivolve?"

Rika and Wizardmon locked eyes with Ken, who stared back at them with an almost emotionless gaze. But Rika could sense that he felt very doubtful towards his old friend. Rika, too, didn't know how much she trusted Ken. Wizardmon felt a little caught in the middle, sensing the conflicting auras of the raven-haired children. Then, without a word, Ken leaped off the roof of the building and disappeared.

"So Wormmon saved Cody, didn't he?" Davis guessed.

"I guess that's right." Yolei said uncertainly.

_This really just doesn't add up. _Cody thought, almost glaring in the direction Ken disappeared to.

* * *

When they finished working, the Punimon begged Davis and Veemon for one more game before they left, so they resumed their play while the other DigiDestined watched from the swing set. The swarm of baby Digimon laughed and cheered and tossed the ball around, with Veemon and Davis right in the middle of it all.

"You're so popular!" T.K. called almost teasingly.

Davis smirked. "Jealous?" He hardly waited for an answer before running off to join the game again.

"Back to your troops, General!" Yolei teased.

Cody stood from his spot. "You won't believe this. You know that Control Spire that was up on the ridge? Guess what? It's vanished."

Everyone looked to see Cody was right; the Control Spire was nowhere in sight. "Oh no, Cody's right." Yolei said. "It's really gone."

"How? When?" T.K. wondered.

"Maybe that's why Armadillomon was able to Digivolve." Cody guessed.

"Yeah." Armadillomon agreed. "That's it."

"Coupled with his desire to protect you I'm sure." Rika added.

Kari looked to Wizardmon's spirit, currently staring off in the distance towards where the Control Spire used to stand. "You okay, Wizardmon?"

"Just thinking." Wizardmon said dismissively. Kari didn't push it, a little scared by the serious, intense look in Wizardmon's eyes. The DigiDestined didn't return home until nightfall. Kari showered and changed into her pajamas before returning to her room and discovering Spirit Rika and Gatomon talking on Kari's bed and Wizardmon sitting in the corner. The Majin's eyes were closed and his legs crossed. He pressed his forefingers and thumbs together in an almost diamond shape inches from his chest, the rest of his fingers curled in towards his palms.

Kari tiptoed over to Rika and Gatomon. "What's Wizardmon doing?"

"Some sort of meditation thing." Rika whispered. "He's been really quiet since the incident with Thundermon."

Kari looked to Wizardmon. She hated to interrupt his concentration, but she couldn't ignore it if something was bothering Wizardmon, someone she knew to be stubborn when a problem arose. The brunette knelt down in front of her wizard friend. "Wizardmon?"

Wizardmon opened his eyes and dropped his hands. "Yes?"

"Is there something about Thundermon that worries you?" Kari asked.

Wizardmon looked down. "It doesn't worry me as much as it just bothers me. It's one of those things that I just don't understand and I don't like it."

"What is it about this thing that bugs you so much?" Rika asked.

Wizardmon looked at each of the girls in turn. "Do you have paper and something to write with? I can explain it better then."

Kari retrieved a notebook and a pencil for Wizardmon. Then the two girls and their Digimon partners gathered in a circle on Kari's bed and paid close attention to Wizardmon as he started drawing on the notepad.

"This is how I was taught when I was learning about auras." Wizardmon drew a strange symbol in the shape of a flame. "In every living creature is their life force, called their Life Flame. The Life Flame is sort of like a soul; it keeps the creature alive and is snuffed out by death, either from natural causes or even when a creature's life is taken." Next, he drew a picture of Gatomon around the Life Flame so that it rested in the picture cat's stomach. "Around the Life Flame is the physical body that acts as a host for the flame to thrive in." He drew lines extending from the Gatomon picture. "Radiating from the physical body and powered by the Life Flame is the aura. The aura, as I said before, can be strong or weak depending on so many factors: emotions, physical health or strength, mental stability, and more. The Life Flame and the aura are directly connected, but it is possible for the Life Flame to be without a host. It is not possible for a physical body to have an aura without a Life Flame or a Life Flame without an aura."

Kari, Rika, and Gatomon nodded in understanding. Wizardmon turned to a new page and drew a picture of Thundermon with an aura, but no Life Flame. "When I sense auras, I can sense the strength of the Life Flame within a person or Digimon." He continued. "But when I sensed Thundermon's aura, his Life Flame didn't feel right. I couldn't tell if it wasn't there or if it was something more. It was almost….like a fake Flame. Meaning he wasn't alive but he also wasn't dead."

"So he was like a zombie or a ghost?" Rika asked.

"Ghosts are nothing more than Life Flames emitting auras without a physical body to host them." Wizardmon corrected. "Thundermon had a physical body and an aura, but his Life Flame was like nothing I ever felt before. In fact, I couldn't feel it at all; it wasn't there."

They sat there for a moment, staring at the picture Wizardmon drew. None of them had an answer for this revelation. In fact, it seemed to just raise even more questions than they started out with since returning home.


	11. Spirit Needle

**Episode 25: Spirit Needle**

Rika hummed to herself as she leaned against the gates to the school, constantly looking back towards the doors to see if anyone came out yet. "Ugh. I forgot how long school lasts. How much longer are they going to be?"

_Patience is a virtue. _Wizardmon's voice echoed in her skull.

"Yeah well I've been patient for a couple hours now." Rika countered.

_I told you to go entertain yourself. There is a bookstore around the corner. _Wizardmon pointed out.

"I'm starting to think we should spend more time in the Digital World when everyone else is at school." Rika said.

_Or you could start going back to school again. _Wizardmon suggested.

Rika stuck her tongue out. "Not a chance." She turned at the sound of a bell and smiled when she saw Rika and Yolei jogging towards her. "Hey guys! Where are the boys?"

"Aren't I a boy?" Poromon asked from Yolei's arms.

"She just means Davis, T.K., Cody, and their Digimon." Yolei said as they started walking.

"They're doing boy things I'm sure." Kari shrugged.

"Davis is probably thinking of a way to bring Ken back." Yolei huffed.

"Really?" Rika asked excitedly. "Is he having any luck?"

"Oh not you too!" Yolei groaned.

"What's so bad about bringing Ken back?" Rika demanded. "He's DigiDestined like us."

"He was also the evil Digimon Emperor just days ago." Yolei snapped. "People don't change that easily."

"They can if you give them the chance." Rika growled.

"Both of you stop it." Kari ordered. "I think we need a break from Digiworld stuff for a while. Why don't we go to the mall nearby?"

"I guess some browsing wouldn't hurt." Rika nodded.

"I think we need to get you a new outfit." Kari suggested. "You can't go walking about in your pajamas anymore."

"But I'm broke." Rika said.

"It'll be our treat." Yolei assured, she and Kari steering Rika towards the mall. "Even if you just get jeans and a T-shirt, it'll be better than those night clothes."

Rika wanted to protest, but Kari and Yolei seemed determined because they wouldn't stop coaxing/pushing her until they reached the mall. The raven-haired girl let them lead her to a nearby clothing store, but made them promise that she would get to choose her own clothes so they didn't toss her into "a bunch of pink junk." Once that was made clear Yolei finally put down the frilly pink skirt she picked up.

"All right, let's get to work." Kari said, and they moved through the clothing racks. They shifted through numerous different articles of clothing and each got an armful before going back to the dressing rooms.

"Are you really going to force me into this?" Rika whined a little.

"Just do it." Gatomon laughed, pushing Rika's legs and forcing her into the dressing room. Rika sighed, but as she closed the door she allowed a smile to appear on her face.

It took about an hour of trying on and re-trying on clothes, coupled with funny stories and some laughing at the goofy things Rika put on. Finally, Rika emerged with the perfect outfit for her: black cargo capris, a camouflage pattern T-shirt, black sneakers, and a black-and-white bead bracelet on her right wrist. With some coaxing from her friends she traded her Wizardmon hat for a red bandana. She kept her hair back in its loose ponytail.

"Okay, I'll admit it." Rika sighed, glancing down to her new clothes in the bags at her feet. "This was pretty fun. I can't remember the last time I was at the mall. Thanks guys."

"It was our pleasure." Yolei said, leaning back in her seat on the train.

"We should definitely hang out more often." Kari said.

"I agree." Gatomon said. "It's fun."

"I just wish Wizardmon could come out more often." Poromon sighed. "Then at least I wouldn't be completely surrounded by girls. No offense."

"None taken." Rika assured. "You realize Wizardmon's actually right next to you?"

Poromon looked over and jumped when he saw Wizardmon's ghostly form on the seat next to him. The girls were happy for the empty train car so they could laugh out loud. "Sorry Poromon." Wizardmon chuckled. "Even when I come out as a spirit I can go invisible."

"Nice one Wizardmon." Gatomon laughed.

Poromon whined. "You guys…."

Rika felt Wizardmon's mood suddenly change and looked over to see the Majin staring out the window. "What's up, Wizardmon?"

Kari, Rika, Poromon, and Gatomon looked over at the wizard, who didn't answer for a while. "Ken's out there."

"Like right outside?" Kari asked, everyone turning to the window.

"He's a little far out, but I can sense his aura." Wizardmon replied. "Davis and DemiVeemon are with them."

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Of course they are. Can we change the subject before I go on a rant and ruin our evening?"

"We should be getting off soon." Kari assured. "We have to get home before Rika and Wizardmon switch."

They turned from the window to talk about what they would be doing in the Digital World tomorrow. But Wizardmon kept his gaze outside, in the direction of Ken's aura. _Rika, we need to go to the DigiWorld tonight._

_Sounds like a plan. _Rika agreed.

* * *

"Kari, Rika and I are going to the DigiWorld to check on something." Wizardmon announced. "We'll meet up with you tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Kari asked. "You want us to come with you?"

"No, it's all right." Wizardmon assured. "Besides, you have school tomorrow and Rika doesn't. We'll meet you in DigiWorld."

"Okay." Kari nodded a little nervously, opening up the Digi-port on her computer. "Be safe."

"We will." Spirit Rika nodded before disappearing back into Wizardmon.

"See you tomorrow Wizardmon!" Gatomon waved.

Wizardmon pulled out the Digivice and pointed it to the gate. "Well, we're off. Digi-port open!"

In a flash, Wizardmon disappeared into the computer and touched down in a forest in the Digital World. "Whoa hey Wizardmon!" Rika's spirit form appeared beside the Majin. "Check it out!"

Wizardmon blinked in surprise at the girl. "When did you change your clothes?"

"I didn't." Rika said, turning around a bit to look at her new outfit. Instead of her cargo capris and shirt she wore a black dress with a high collar and a short skirt with a white skirt underneath the black one. A strange skull designed brooch clipped into her collar. Her sleeves weren't attached to the dress but rather hugged her biceps, so long that the end of the fabric reached her knees and opened up halfway down to let her hands through. She also wore a pair of black leggings and short black boots. Even her Wizardmon hat rested on her head again, only the skull decoration was gone. Her black-and-white bead bracelet and sword seemed the only things that didn't disappear or become replaced.

"Well that's strange." Wizardmon said.

"Yolei said this happens to her and the other DigiDestined when they enter the Digital World; their outfits change." Rika stared at her outfit. "But this is the first time it's ever happened to me."

Wizardmon pondered it, but couldn't reach a conclusion. "Well, at least it looks nice."

Rika smiled. "Aw, thanks. But we can admire my outfit later; let's find Ken."

Wizardmon nodded in agreement and took off to the skies, searching for the raven-haired boy and his insect Digimon.

Meanwhile, said DigiDestined partners fought against a Snimon in a small canyon. Stingmon easily dodged the praying mantis Digimon's attacks and quickly flew in for the final blows. With lightning-fast moves he kicked Snimon repeatedly until he dissolved.

"Gone to pieces." Stingmon said.

"You showed him Stingmon!" Ken cheered.

Stingmon groaned in tiredness. "Can we not do that anymore today, Ken?"

"Unfortunately I don't think that was the last of the monsters we'll face." Ken said. "Look at all these Control Spires. I'm sorry I ever made them. Something's going on and it doesn't look good." He stared at the ground. _Maybe I _should _join the other DigiDestined. I don't think we can do this alone._

"A little help never hurts."

Ken and Stingmon spun around at the new voice and Ken's eyes widened. "W-Wizardmon?"

Wizardmon smiled under his cowl. "Hello Ken."

"Ken, you know this guy?" Stingmon asked as he dedigivolved to Wormmon. Ken didn't answer; he ran forward and suddenly hugged Wizardmon, overjoyed to see the Majin. Wizardmon returned the embrace, chuckling a little.

"It's really you." Ken breathed.

"It's so good to see you, Ken." Wizardmon said, pulling away and taking a step back. "Just look at how you've grown! You're not that same little boy I met so long ago."

Ken lowered his eyes in embarrassment. "But you're still the same. Minus the wardrobe change of course." They laughed, and Ken noticed Wormmon hiding behind his legs. "Wormmon, this is Wizardmon. He's an old friend of mine."

"Hello." Wizardmon tipped his hat to the caterpillar Digimon.

Wormmon, realizing this new Digimon a friend, came out and nodded in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Wizardmon. How do you know Ken?"

"He's friends with my human partner, Rika Yamada." Wizardmon said.

Ken's smile disappeared. "Where _is _Rika? Did she abandon you?"

"No, of course not." Wizardmon said. "She's right here." Then, Rika's ghostly form materialized beside Wizardmon.

"Hey Ken!" Rika greeted with a warm smile.

Ken and Wormmon stared in shock. "Rika?" Ken gasped. "What…..how…did you…?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Rika admitted. "But we'd like to tell it to you if you have a free moment."

Ken and Wormmon exchanged glances, but agreed to listen after making a quick fire. The four of them sat down, then Rika and Wizardmon told Ken and Wormmon the same thing they told the other DigiDestined.

"Fusing a Digimon with a human?" Wormmon breathed. "Just fusing two Digimon together sounds like an extremely difficult task!"

"But it's nice to know you have such a loyal partner, Rika." Ken said. "Do you really have a Digivice and Crest?"

"Yep." Rika nodded. Wizardmon pulled out the Digivice from his pocket and the tag and Crest from under his collar. "See? It's a bit of an older version of the Digivice, but it works great. Wizardmon can Digivolve and Armor Digivolve with ease."

Ken stared at the Crest for a moment. "Rika, you know your Crest is the Crest of Darkness, right?"

"Yes I know." Rika nodded. "So what?"

Ken could see her discomfort, but he pressed on. "Rika, supposedly our Crests choose us based on our strongest personality points."

"I know." Rika said. "Wizardmon explained it to me."

"We don't know what the Crest choosing Rika means." Wizardmon said.

"All we know is I am a DigiDestined and I'm supposed to help you guys." Rika assured. "Maybe I do have darkness in me and I react positively to dark forces like that Dark Pool, but it doesn't matter." Everyone could tell Rika tried to convince herself more than them, and she was failing.

"Why did you come to me, Rika?" Ken asked.

"Because Wizardmon and I think you should join the DigiDestined too." Rika said. "Not only that, it's just nice to talk to you again. You and Sam were my best friends and I missed you terribly."

Ken smiled softly. "You and Wizardmon are my friends too." His eyes widened in realization. "Oh your necklace! The Yin-Yang pendant you lost while we were playing soccer, I still have it at my house!"

"Don't worry about it." Rika assured. "Get it to me when you can."

Ken nodded hurriedly. "I promise. I was going to return it that night I met Wizardmon but—"

"I know." Rika said. "I was pretty much right there."

Wormmon stared at Rika for a while. "So you say you like the powers of darkness?"

"I don't know how to explain it." Rika shrugged. "I guess it's my Crest."

"Can't you just give it up?" Wormmon asked.

"The Crest chose her, not the other way around." Wizardmon explained.

Rika noticed Ken and Wormmon's worried looks. "I am still your friend, Ken. You must always remember that."

Ken stared at Rika for a moment before standing. "Thank you, Rika and Wizardmon. But I have a lot of things I need to sort out before I make any decisions." He turned and walked off, Wormmon at his feet.

Wizardmon sighed. "Well, at least he knows we're both alive and on his side."

"Yeah." Rika sighed too. She glanced down at the Crest of Darkness as Wizardmon tucked it away under the collar of his jumper. "Wizardmon? Why did you choose me to be the Child of Darkness?"

"I didn't choose you." Wizardmon corrected. "The Crest chose you."

"That doesn't answer why though." Rika said. "What is it about me that screams 'darkness'? What does it mean to be a DigiDestined of Darkness?" She looked up towards the moon and stars. "Am I supposed to be evil?"

Wizardmon turned to Rika. "You are _not _evil."

"How can I be sure?" Rika asked. "Look at me; I'm a regular witch."

"Rika, you're far from evil." Wizardmon assured. "I know you."

Rika sighed. "I think I'm going to sleep. You should too. Goodnight, Onīsan." She vanished, back into her partner.

Wizardmon sighed. "Sweet dreams, imōto-chan."

* * *

Mimi laughed to herself as the YukimiBotamon called excitedly for more marshmallows, bouncing a little around the small fire. "Hold on! Hold on! Palmon is bringing back more marshmallows right now!"

"This is great!" one of the white baby Digimon said. "Thank you!"

"You YukimiBotamon are cute baby Digimon and have such white fur. You're Bubble Blow attack is almost as big as your appetites!" Mimi cooed. "I'm glad you like these! Next time we'll make s'mores, how about that?" She looked over to the direction Palmon disappeared to. "I wonder where Palmon went to. If she doesn't hurry back with those marshmallows we're going to have to start roasting some tree bark."

Turns out, Palmon stopped by a small field of flowers, gathering some in her vine-like fingers. "How pretty! I bet Mimi would love this flower. I should find more and make her a bouquet." She started picking some more, humming to herself, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Standing up straight, she gasped softly at the sight. "Wizardmon?"

The Digimon standing several yards away seemed to perk up at the sound of his name, and he turned to the green Digimon. "Who are you?"

"I'm Palmon, the Rookie form of Lillymon." Palmon said. "You saved my life when Myotismon attacked me!"

"Ah yes, I remember." Wizardmon nodded. "How are you?"

"Very good, thank you." Palmon nodded. "Mimi told me you visited everyone as a ghost in Odaiba. What're you doing here?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Wizardmon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well Mimi would probably love to see you." Palmon gestured back towards the way she came. "Why don't you tag along?"

Wizardmon thought for a moment. _Well, Rika should still be sleeping or meditating. I guess a little bit longer wouldn't hurt. _"Very well. Let's go."

Palmon smiled as she led the way, Wizardmon's ghostly form drifting beside her. "So where have you been all this time?"

"Oh nowhere special." Wizardmon shrugged. "Just—" He suddenly seized up, gasping softly.

Palmon stopped walking, staring at the Majin worriedly. "What is it?"

"I…sense something….." Wizardmon said. "Something evil."

Palmon opened her mouth to ask what he meant when she saw something else. She looked past him and suddenly ducked behind a tree. Wizardmon joined her as they stared at a figure some ways away from them, standing in front of a Control Spire.

"A human?" Palmon whispered. "But what's she doing here? I thought only children could come to the Digital World. She doesn't look like a child to me."

"She wouldn't look like a child to _anyone_." Wizardmon corrected.

"What's she doing with that Control Spire?" Palmon whispered.

"I don't know but we're about to find out." Wizardmon declared. "I'm going to get a closer look."

"Are you crazy?" Palmon exclaimed.

"If she turns out to be dangerous she can't attack me." Wizardmon reasoned. "But I need you to stay here and run for help if necessary."

"Be careful, Wizardmon." Palmon warned. Wizardmon nodded and went invisible, silently floating over to where the strange woman stood. He remained invisible and as quiet as he could manage, watching the woman pull one of her hairs from her head. The silvery strand waved in the wind briefly before straightening and going stiff.

"Hair today, gone tomorrow." The woman said, pressing the hair into the spire. Where the hair touched rippled with red light and the white hair disappeared inside the spire. _"Spirit Needle!"_

The Control Spire began to glow brightly, almost blinding Wizardmon. _This power and magic is radiating with the same dark energy I felt when we fought that Thundermon! Who _is _this woman? Some sort of Witchmon or something?_

The light died down, and Wizardmon's and Palmon's eyes widened. _That's not possible. _Wizardmon thought.

"Go." the strange woman ordered. "Flood the city. Leave it in ruins. Now do as I command!"

"Hey!" Wizardmon shouted, suddenly going visible so the woman and her creation could see him. "What do you think you're doing?"

The strange woman stared at Wizardmon, her eyes hidden by rounded purple sunglasses. "Ah, Wizardmon; the DigiDestined of Darkness. We meet at last."

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes. "How do you know who I am?"

"I've heard much about you." The woman chuckled. "Like your unfortunate betrayal. Now you really shouldn't have done that, Wizardmon. You had a simple task and you failed."

"Don't you dare lecture me you ugly hag!" Wizardmon shouted.

"'Ugly hag'?" the woman repeated, sounding very much offended. "Well now that's not nice. Destroy him!"

The woman's creation raised his fists to smash Wizardmon into the ground, but both he and the woman became very confused when the monster's fists went right through the Digimon. "I don't think so." Wizardmon growled, going invisible and darting away. He approached Palmon and turned visible again. "Palmon, you return to your partner to digivolve and try to hold off that thing. I'm going to get help."

"Okay!" Palmon nodded, running off as fast as her legs could carry her. Wizardmon shot up through the trees and into the sky, flying as fast as he could back to where Rika rested. He finally found the girl asleep in a tree.

"Hey wake up!" Wizardmon shouted.

Rika jumped, her hands slapping the tree bark underneath her and steadying her so she didn't fall. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Rika snapped/yawned. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"No time for that! We got a Golemon about to flood and destroy a city!" Wizardmon said urgently. "Palmon and her DigiDestined partner are already at the dam but we need to hurry and help."

"Right." Rika stood quickly, suddenly awake. She jumped down from the tree and landed softly on the ground, brushing off the skirt of her dress. "Lead the way!" Wizardmon resumed his flying through the forest, Rika sprinting right beside him. Luckily the dam was only a short sprint away. "Was the Golemon controlled by a Dark Ring?"

"No." Wizardmon said. "But it explains why Thundermon's Life Flame felt so strange! We don't have much time we have to hurry!"

"Okay!" Rika rolled her eyes. "It's not like you could answer my questions or anything. Obviously we're too busy running at breakneck speed to stop an evil Digimon."

"That's correct!" Wizardmon confirmed, flying faster and forcing Rika to increase her speed as well.

"That was sarcastic." Rika muttered under her breath. She suddenly skidded to a halt when she reached the edge of a small ravine, with one end blocked by a dam and the other opening out to a nearby city. Advancing towards the dam was the Golemon Wizardmon spoke of. Across the ravine stood a red haired girl holding Palmon and surrounded by little white baby Digimon.

"Palmon!" Wizardmon called, shooting over to the DigiDestined of Sincerity.

"Wizardmon!" Mimi gasped. "You're here!"

"Is Palmon all right?" Wizardmon asked.

"She's unconscious but fine." Mimi said. "Please tell me you can help!"

"I myself can't; I'm only a ghost." Wizardmon said. "But my trainer Rika is right across the way. See if you can contact the other DigiDestined and we'll hold off Golemon!"

"Please be careful!" Mimi called as Wizardmon darted off.

Rika, in the time Wizardmon took to talk to Mimi, already began sliding down the steep incline to the bottom of the ravine, darting forward to attack the Golemon. She jumped up, ricocheted off the rock Digimon's back, and landed gracefully in front of him.

"Hey listen!" Rika ordered. "You can't destroy that dam! You'll be demolishing a city full of innocent Digimon!" The Golemon roared and swung his fists, but Rika darted away to safety. "I don't want to have to hurt you but if you don't calm down and stop I'll have no choice!" Golemon roared again and swung his fist to smack Rika aside, only to miss yet again when Rika jumped high into the air and landed several feet away. She drew her sword, brandishing it threateningly. "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Wizardmon floated down beside her. "Palmon and her trainer are okay. They're calling the DigiDestined now."

"Good." Rika nodded, not taking her eyes off Golemon. "You go stay with them until the others arrive. Protect them how you can."

"You know I can't attack when in spirit form." Wizardmon said.

"Yeah but your presence alone should deter other Digimon from attacking." Rika reasoned. "Now go!" She and Wizardmon split off, the latter up to Mimi, Palmon, and the babies and the former running towards Golemon to fight. She swung her blade towards Golemon's head, but the steel bounced off the rock Digimon's head, causing sparks to fly but not leaving even a scratch. Golemon made to grab Rika but she jumped around like a grasshopper and ended up on his back. He reached back to smack her off but couldn't even come close to touching her. Then, he seemed to give up and started towards the dam again. Rika slammed and sliced her sword into the Digimon but his rocky body hardly became scratched and Golemon continued up to the dam, climbing up the smooth rock face with surprising ease.

"How hard it is to stop a hunk of walking rock?" Rika grunted in effort, but her blade hardly left a scratch. Then, she hit Golemon as hard as she could with the hilt of her sword, and a small piece of him broke off. Underneath the rocky shell rested some sort of smooth, glossy black stone. Rika stared at the rock. "What in the DigiWorld?"

Suddenly, Golemon reached around and grabbed Rika in his fist, throwing her away from him. Rika screamed a little as she fell, but suddenly grunted from making contact with another Digimon. Opening her eyes, she was thankful to see she hadn't stabbed herself with her sword and that now she rode on the back of a familiar face.

"You really should've waited for us." Pegasusmon scolded gently.

"Where's the fun in that?" Rika laughed, sheathing her blade. "Let's go!"

The rest of the DigiDestined stood up with Mimi, Palmon, Wizardmon, and the YukimiBotamon. "Thanks for coming so quickly." Wizardmon said.

"Not a problem." T.K. assured. "Let's just get this Golemon under control."

The Digimon, with Rika still on Pegasusmon's back, charged towards Golemon as the rock Digimon continued to climb.

"First we're gonna have to get him off that dam!" Raidramon said.

Pegasusmon and Nefertimon took care of that, creating their Golden Noose and hooking it around Golemon's neck, stopping him from climbing up the dam any farther. With Golemon immobilized, Raidramon sent a Thunder Blast, Digmon a Gold Rush, and Shurimon a Double Star. The attacks hit their mark, causing a cloud of dust to erupt.

"Great shot, guys." Raidramon complimented.

"Way to go!" Rika cheered. But they gasped when they saw Golemon still hanging onto the dam, looking as though a ball hit him on the head and nothing more. He started pulling forward, dragging Nefertimon, Rika, and Pegasusmon back with him.

"That didn't even faze him!" Raidramon realized.

"He's too strong!" Pegasusmon groaned as he fought from being pulled back.

"Look for his Dark Ring and destroy it!" Nefertimon ordered.

"I'm all over it!" Shurimon shot up toward Golemon, but couldn't find any trace of the controlling ring. "I don't see a Dark Ring!"

"No Dark Ring?" Raidramon repeated. "That means he's not being controlled!"

"Yeah, just like that Thundermon I fought last time!" Digmon realized.

Suddenly Golemon swung his head around, forcing Nefertimon and Pegasusmon to careen into the dam and slam into the concrete. Rika screamed a little as she gripped Pegasusmon's mane tightly, but when he collided with the stone her side also hit the rock. The three of them slid down the dam and to the ground, lying there dazed. Rika shakily pushed herself upright, hurrying to the fallen Digimon's sides.

"You guys okay?" she asked worriedly.

"We're fine." Nefertimon groaned. Rika jumped and gasped when Raidramon suddenly slammed into the ground, followed by Shurimon when they tried to attack Golemon. Then, Golemon smashed his fist into the dam, and seconds later water came gushing out. The Digimon and Rika made a run for it, desperate to escape. The Digimon ran off to the right to a ledge higher up while Rika ran to the left, scaling the steep incline to reach the top. But she only made it a few feet from flat ground when her foot slipped on a loose rock and she started falling. Luckily, T.K. reached her in time to grab her arm and pull her up.

"Nice catch T.K." Rika complimented.

"No problem." T.K. smiled. Then he blinked in surprise. "Whoa. Talk about a wardrobe change. Where'd you get _that_?"

"Long story." Rika said quickly as they jogged over to the other DigiDestined. "Hey guys!"

"Rika!" Kari sighed. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Oh no the dam!" the YukimiBotamon cried. Everyone gasped at the tsunami-like wave of water currently cascading towards the city nearby.

"Quick you guys!" Mimi shouted. "Stop the water!"

"You heard the lady!" Raidramon shouted, leading the charge to get ahead of the roaring waters.

"I'll take care of this!" Nefertimon flew over to the hole in the dam. _"Rosetta Stone!"_ She launched four of the rocks, successfully blocking the hole and stopping the water.

"Take that ya big rock head!" Kari laughed.

"Sorry but I've already had my bath today!" Raidramon growled.

The Digimon hurried down the ravine, struggling a little to get ahead of the water. But they finally managed to get several hundred yards away and got to work. Pegasusmon dropped Digmon right where he needed to be while Raidramon and Shurimon cut down numerous trees lining the ravine. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon used a Golden Noose to tie the trees together, dropping them down to form a makeshift dam behind Digmon. Working fast, Digmon drilled down into the rock at his feet, creating a deep ditch for the water to go into. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon swooped down and lifted the armored insect Digimon to safety just as the water crashed into the trees. The tree dam stood firm, preventing the water from going anywhere except into the ditch Digmon made.

"There must be easier ways to water the plants." Nefertimon said with a mental smirk.

"You're telling me." Raidramon agreed, all of them a little tired from the adrenaline.

"That was awesome!" Davis exclaimed.

"That's what I call teamwork!" Mimi agreed.

"Oh no!" the YukimiBotamon cried. "Golemon's at it again!"

Everyone turned to said rock Digimon. "He's climbing up the dam again!" Davis groaned. "Doesn't he know when to stop?"

"I don't think so." Yolei sighed.

"Well he has a rock for a brain." Kari noted. "He can't be that bright."

"There's no way the Digimon can stop that much water." Yolei said.

"They won't have to if we can stop him." Rika drew her sword.

"Rika you can't go back in there!" Wizardmon protested. "It's too dangerous!"

"But they'll need all the help they can get!" Rika countered, running off before anyone else could protest.

Wizardmon growled. "I feel so useless! I can't fight when I'm in spirit form because I go through everything!"

"It's okay, Wizardmon." Cody assured.

"No it's not okay!" Wizardmon snapped. "How can I protect Rika or anybody if I can't fight during the day?"

The Digimon and Rika charged into battle, hitting Golemon with every attack they had. Rika slashed her sword and kicked and punched the rock Digimon, but nothing any of them did seemed to have effect on their adversary. Meanwhile Golemon continued to climb to the top of the dam, clearly prepared to destroy it completely and flood everything. Rika and the Digimon continued to attack, desperate to stop Golemon.

"Why is he so intent on flooding the town?" Cody asked no one in particular.

"Golemon doesn't seem to care that there are millions of Digimon down there." T.K. noted.

"That's why we have to stop him!" Yolei cried. "Those poor Digimon. How do we stop Golemon without hurting him?"

"We have no choice but to resort to extreme measures." Davis said regretfully.

"And exactly _what _do you mean by that, Davis?" Yolei demanded.

"We have to destroy him!" Davis said.

"Have you gone completely nuts?" Yolei snapped. "He's a Digimon! He's still a living creature, Davis! We'll have to think of another plan."

"If you've got a better plan I'd love to hear it!" Davis argued.

"What if we keep trying to protect the dam?" Yolei suggested.

"Now who sounds crazy?" Davis scoffed. "He swatted our Digimon like flies! We have to take out Golemon and protect the dam!"

"At least let's try, Davis!" Yolei argued.

"Look Yolei, the longer we fight him the better chance of him destroying that dam!" Davis countered. "There are millions of lives at stake. We have no choice!"

"There's got to be a better way!" Yolei shouted.

"It's too late Yolei; we have to act now!" Davis shouted back.

Yolei gasped when she remembered what happened between Stingmon and Thundermon. "If we destroy Golemon, we're no better than Ken and Stingmon."

"Yolei, it'll be all right." Wizardmon assured. "Golemon isn't—"

"It won't be all right if we kill him!" Yolei shouted at the Majin. "We don't kill Digimon and that's the final word on it! There must be a solution without violence!"

"I agree with Yolei." Cody said. "If we destroy Golemon, then we'll just be sinking to Ken's level."

"Right Cody." Yolei nodded.

"Wrong Cody!" Davis disagreed. "We have to do the right thing! Being a hero isn't always pretty. Maybe Ken did what he had to do to save people's lives!"

_Why does Davis always stick up for Ken? _Yolei wondered. _Even after he's seen him do such horrible things to the Digimon? Does he really think Ken has changed or has his hair gel leaked into his brain?_

"This might sound crazy but I think we should ask Ken for his help." Mimi piped up.

Everyone turned with a gasp of surprise. "Have you lost your mind, Mimi?" Yolei asked.

"Give me your D-terminal." Mimi ordered.

Yolei obeyed reluctantly. "You have _got _to be kidding."

"I'm totally serious." Mimi said. "Golemon's too powerful. We need all the help we can get."

"But he's dangerous." Yolei protested.

"Don't argue with me!" Mimi snapped.

"Mimi, how do you know if we can trust him?" Yolei asked worriedly.

"Yolei you're going to have to put aside your hatred for Ken. That goes for you as well, Cody." Wizardmon said. "Let go of your anger towards him and we can win this!"

_Maybe I _am _being too hard on Ken. _Yolei thought. _I really do want him to come I just can't admit it. _Golemon's roar made them all turn to the battle. Golemon swung his fist into Shurimon and sent him to the ground, forcing him to dedigivolve back to Hawkmon. The other Digimon and Rika surrounded Golemon, ready to attack again, when the rock Digimon launched another cloud of Crimson Curse. Rika was the only one who could duck behind something to escape it; the other Digimon fell to the ground and dedigivolved to Gatomon, Patamon, Veemon, and Armadillomon.

"I guess it's up to me now." Rika took a breath and jumped up towards Golemon, sword raised and ready. But Golemon suddenly swung his fist and punched Rika back to the stone of the dam, forcing her to tumble and barely grab onto the edge to stop her fall.

"Rika!" Wizardmon shouted.

"Run for it!" Davis called. "He's gonna break the dam!"

Rika held her sword in a tight grip with one hand and clutched the edge of the dam with the other, glaring hard at Golemon. A little blood trickled from her mouth, but she hardly paid any attention to it. The rock Digimon raised his fist to smash the dam and send Rika down with it. He brought his fist down…

….only for a familiar insect Digimon to catch his arm and stop him.

"It's Stingmon!" Davis realized.

Rika looked over to the tree line and saw a familiar raven-haired boy. "Ken!"

"Stingmon!" Ken ordered. "Give him your best shot!"

"Here goes nothing!" Stingmon kicked Golemon repeatedly, knocking the stone Digimon back and away from Rika.

_It's Ken! _Yolei realized. _He came to help us!_

"Way to go! Yeah!" Davis cheered. "I knew he'd come!"

"Me too!" Mimi said. "Now Golemon has his hands full!"

_Wow. _Yolei breathed, watching the fierce battle between Golemon and Stingmon. _Ken and Stingmon are defending the town! If Stingmon hadn't stopped Golemon, the dam would be history by now!_

Stingmon kicked Golemon farther down the dam, giving him time to pull Rika up onto solid ground. "Thanks Stingmon." Rika said, brandishing her sword. "Let's finish this!"

"No." Stingmon ordered. "You go stay with Ken and out of harm's way. Leave this to me."

"But I can help!" Rika insisted.

"You've helped plenty." Stingmon assured kindly. "Now it's my turn."

Rika seemed reluctant, but nodded and ran over to Ken. "Nice of you to show up."

"I don't abandon people in need." Ken said simply. "Not anymore."

On the other side of the ravine, Mimi gasped softly when she heard Palmon moan. "Look everyone! Palmon's waking up!"

"Golemon." Palmon said. "He's not what you think. He's not even a real Digimon." Everyone blinked in surprise except Wizardmon, already knowing the truth. "I know I sound crazy, but you have to believe me on this."

"What're you talking about?" Mimi asked.

"I was walking through the woods and found Wizardmon. We heard something so we went to check it out." Palmon explained. "That's when I saw this strange woman. She was casting a spell on a Control Spire. There was all this bright light. I could barely see. And then the Control Spire became Golemon!"

"Hey guys, I just thought of something!" T.K. announced. "Thundermon must've been one of those Control Spires too!"

"I'd be willing to bet that." Wizardmon agreed. "That's why Thundermon's and now this Golemon's auras feel so strange; they're physical bodies giving off auras without a real Life Flame. The thing that gives them life isn't a living object itself!"

"I bet Ken probably figured that out during the last battle." T.K. said.

"That must be why he wanted Stingmon to destroy him." Davis added. "He knew he wasn't a real Digimon."

"That's why Golemon attacked the dam." Cody realized. "He's a Control Spire under a dark spell!"

"A _very _dark spell." Wizardmon confirmed. "A type of magic only used by very evil people or Digimon."

Stingmon reeled back at Golemon's Crimson Curse. "Stingmon look out!" Ken shouted.

"Stay strong Stingmon!" Rika echoed.

Yolei stared in shock. _I was wrong. Ken _has _changed. I always assumed he was just as ruthless as before but now he's trying to _save _the Digital World. _"I'm sorry Ken. I was wrong." Suddenly, a bright glow emitted from Yolei's D3, and she pulled it out to stare at it.

Down in the ravine, Hawkmon felt something flowing through him, and he floated back up to his feet. His fellow Digimon stared at him. "Hawkmon. Are you okay?" Armadillomon asked.

"I feel rather strange right now." Hawkmon admitted.

Yolei stared at her Digivice for a moment before closing her eyes and admitting it to herself. _I know I was wrong._

Hawkmon became enveloped in a bright light, morphing and growing.

"_Hawkmon digivolve to…Aquilamon!"_

When the light died, a ginormous bird took Hawkmon's place, ready for battle. Yolei ran to the edge of the ravine, staring at her digivolved partner. "Aquilamon! Golemon is really an evil Control Spire! He's not a living Digimon! So give him all you got!"

Aquilamon nodded and roared, shooting towards Golemon and Stingmon_. "Blast Rings!"_ Rings of energy shot from Aquilamon's beak, leaving significant damage and exposing the Control Spire underneath the Golemon shell. "Stingmon! Attack!"

Stingmon nodded. _"Spiking Strike!"_ He shot down with his blade, nailing Golemon with a direct hit that obliterated the evil Control Spire Digimon's outer shell. "Aquilamon! He's weakened! Get him!"

"_Grand Horn!"_ Aquilamon's horns began to glow and he plowed into the Control Spire Golemon, successfully destroying him.

"They did it!" Yolei cheered.

Rika cheered for the win, jumping up and down excitedly. She turned to Ken with a smile. "Thanks for coming to help."

Ken turned to Rika and stared at her for a while. "Rika. Can you promise me that you're still the friend I had when we were little kids? You don't have to be the same little girl that taught me soccer or fell in love with my brother. Just tell me you're still my friend."

Rika stared at Ken and then smiled warmly. "Forever and always."

Ken smiled too. "Thank you Rika."

* * *

"Rika!" Wizardmon floated over hurriedly as Rika, Ken, and Wormmon approached. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Rika nodded. "Really." She long since wiped away the blood from her mouth, and thankfully the black cloth of her dress hid the red liquid quite well.

"Whoa Rika." Davis breathed. "When did you get that cool dress?"

"It came when I entered the Digital World." Rika said. "Though it's never happened before yesterday."

"I think you look great!" Kari complimented.

"I think you look like a witch." Cody said innocently. Everyone laughed.

Ken stepped up, catching everyone's attention. He bowed to them. "I won't make any excuses. And I'm sorry for what I've done."

Davis looked to the others expectantly. Everyone else exchanged looks. "Thanks for coming when we called you Ken." Palmon spoke up first. "We were nearly finished back there."

"It's the least I could do after all the trouble I've caused." Ken said. "I want you to know I have nothing to do with that weird woman who turns Control Spires into Dark Digimon. Wormmon and I have discovered that she's able to recharge the old Control Spires through some sort of dark magic."

"Ken, if you knew about the Control Spires, why didn't you say something?" Mimi asked.

"Well…..I….." Ken looked down.

"We made the mess so we wanted to clean it up by ourselves." Wormmon finished.

"I guess you should've called a maid service, Wormmon." Davis joked.

"I wasn't sure if you guys were going to believe me." Ken said.

"I would've." Davis assured. "But the rest of the guys would've been a hard sell." Rika smacked him upside the head in response. He rubbed his head but continued. "We need to start over. Why don't you join us?"

"I'm sorry but I can't." Ken said, turning and walking away. Wormmon followed close behind.

"We can figure this out together!" Davis insisted. "Ken please! At least think it over! We really need your help!"

_I will think about it. _Ken assured. _But I just need to figure this out alone. _His D-terminal suddenly beeped. "Email?" He opened the piece of technology and read the email to himself. "'Thanks for helping us today. I can't wait for the day you decide to join us, Ken. Yolei.'" Ken turned to see Yolei smiling, holding her D-terminal. Ken didn't offer any response back, only turning and walking off with Wormmon. But inside, he felt a warmth that made him want to smile. _Thank you Yolei._

* * *

Gatomon's muscles tensed, her shoulders wiggling a little. Her eyes narrowed towards the object that seemed to taunt her. Her tail swished back and forth, her claws beginning to come out. Then, she pounced, tackling the blue ball of yarn and mewing happily as she played with it. Rika and Kari, sitting up on the bed, laughed at the sight.

"Sometimes I seem to forget that Gatomon's a cat." Kari said.

"She must go crazy for catnip." Rika giggled.

Gatomon continued to push and chase the ball of yarn all around the floor until she suddenly tumbled and landed right in Wizardmon's lap. "Oops! Sorry Wizardmon!"

"It's fine." Wizardmon said dismissively, taking the ball of yarn and rolling it aside.

But Gatomon didn't chase it, too busy staring at her friend. "Wizardmon? You okay?"

Wizardmon kept his eyes hidden under his hat. "Fine."

Gatomon frowned and climbed up onto the Majin's stomach, pushing his hat away to lock her sapphire eyes with his dark jade green ones. "Wizardmon." Gatomon used the tone of a mother scolding her child. "You will tell me what's wrong."

Now Kari and Rika stared at the two Digimon, looking very worried. Wizardmon stared at Gatomon for a moment before his eyes moved to his human partner. "Rika I don't want you running into battle anymore."

"What?" Rika asked.

"You running into fights like that with just a sword is going to get you killed and I won't risk it." Wizardmon said. "You will leave the fighting to me and never go into a fight again."

"I don't see why I should do that." Rika shrugged.

"Because I told you to." Wizardmon snapped. "Between the two of us I am the only one truly prepared and capable to win in fights against evil Digimon. Besides, that strange woman is still out there and we have no idea how dangerous she is."

"Yeah, but if we run into her again I'll be able to handle her." Rika assured. "I have my sword and my martial arts skills and we'll kick her ugly butt."

"I'm serious Rika!" Wizardmon hissed. "I am responsible for your life and I'm telling you now it's safer for you to stay out of the fights."

"You can't tell me what to do." Rika huffed, crossing her arms.

"I can so and you're going to obey me." Wizardmon growled.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing but watch everyone else fight." Rika snapped. "I'm going to fight how I can and if I get hurt then I'll heal and jump back into battle."

"You can't do that!" Wizardmon jumped to his feet, knocking Gatomon to the ground. "I promised I would protect you and I'm going to keep that promise!"

"Kind of hard to do that when we're fused together like this!" Rika snapped, glaring at her Digimon.

"I did this to save you!" Wizardmon shouted. Kari jumped, happy her parents went out for dinner so they didn't hear. "Everything I've ever done I did to protect you!"

"I never asked you to do that!" Rika yelled. "We're supposed to work hand-in-hand! I'm not a damsel in distress or anything! I don't want you to protect me if you're going to hang over my shoulder like this!"

"_I will not lose you like I lost my mother!" _Wizardmon shouted.

The room fell deathly silent, everyone staring at Wizardmon. The Majin lowered his eyes, his fists clenched. Rika narrowed her eyes. "Don't you mean our—" Her eyes widened. "Are…you talking about Witchmon? That Digimon who raised you?"

Wizardmon turned away, moving to the closet. Rika disappeared and reappeared in front of him. "Get out of my way." Wizardmon whispered.

"No." Rika sounded more pleading than ordering. "No, don't turn away from me. Don't shut me out. Talk to me." Wizardmon didn't answer, moving around Rika to open the door. "Wizardmon, please. We're not just partners; we're supposed to be like siblings. Please talk to me." Wizardmon didn't open the closet door, but he kept his back to his human partner.

"Wizardmon, we're here for you." Kari piped up.

"We're you're friends." Gatomon added. "You can talk to us about anything."

Wizardmon still didn't answer. He stayed by the closet door, hand resting on the wood to open it but not moving in the slightest. Rika reached a hand out to rest it on Wizardmon's shoulder, but her hand went right through him. The raven-haired girl pulled her hand back, sighing softly. Wizardmon pulled the closet open and slipped inside, resting on the futon on the floor and shutting the door behind him, encasing the Majin in the blackness.

_Blackness…..darkness…._ Wizardmon thought. _How appropriate for someone like me._

* * *

**A/N: Rika's DigiWorld dress and sleeves are exactly like Blair's from _Soul Eater_, and her brooch is in the shape of Lord Death's mask. I do not own _Soul Eater _or Digimon.**


	12. United We Stand

**A/N: Wow. Tough week. Haven't written in a while. Good thing I'm catching up! I'll be updating this story and Smurfs 2 today to make up for lost time!**

**read and review please!**

* * *

**Episode 26: United We Stand**

"Ow! Shurimon watch what you're doing." Davis complained.

"You don't have to yell at me." Shurimon rolled his eyes, leaping off to find more rocks for the bridge they worked on. It was another day of cleaning in the Digital World, and they worked for most of the day on a new bridge over a small river.

Davis stood from his pile of rocks and stretched, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We need a rest."

"I'm with you." Cody agreed. Everyone else soon followed suit as they sat off to one side for lunch.

Rika glanced over at Spirit Wizardmon, currently sitting with the other Digimon while they ate. The Majin cast a brief glance at his trainer before looking away. Rika mirrored his actions, the brim of her hat shielding her face from view.

Yolei glanced off into the distance before looking to Kari. "Kari, I wonder, do you think it's possible that Ken's in some kind of danger?"

"What do you mean?" Kari asked.

Yolei looked down. "That woman that Palmon was telling us about. I just know she's up to no good and I think he might be in her way."

"Good." Rika said. "Maybe he'll stop her from making any more evil Digimon. And if he can't—" She drew her sword, stabbing it into the grass. "—then we can take over and kick her to the other side of the DigiWorld."

Wizardmon flashed a glare in Rika's direction, his hand tightening around his staff. Rika mirrored his glare, her hand clenching the handle of her sword tightly. Yolei looked back and forth between them. "Uh, are you guys okay?"

"They had a bit of a disagreement last night." Kari admitted.

"We're not necessarily on speaking terms." Rika added, pulling her sword from the ground and sheathing it.

Yolei sensed the tension rise. "Uh, why don't we get back to work?"

"Already?" Veemon asked. "We just finished eating."

"The sooner we get back to work the sooner we finish." Yolei reasoned, standing hurriedly. The other DigiDestined joined her, digivolving their Digimon to help. They talked and laughed a bit while they worked, cementing rocks into place and smoothing out the top for easy walking. It was still a couple hours until they finished, but when Flamedramon used his fire to harden the last section of cement they all gave a collective sigh of relief.

"It seems sturdy enough." Cody noted, tapping the stone bridge with his foot.

"Of course it is!" Davis scoffed with a smile. "What do you mean by that anyway? Don't you think I know what I'm doing?"

"_You_ said it." T.K. smiled.

"Yeah." Yolei smirked. "Even if it is what we were all thinking."

"Hey, that rockslide thing wasn't my fault." Davis said as they started walking off. "It was Flamedramon."

"Was not." Flamedramon said.

"Was too." Davis insisted.

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"You two would make good scratching posts." Gatomon sighed in irritation.

"Let them tire each other out now." Wizardmon whispered to her. "Maybe then we can get through the rest of the day without hearing them nag."

"Clearly you haven't spent enough time with Veemon and Davis." Gatomon sighed.

Wizardmon chuckled, but suddenly seized up with a gasp. "No not again!"

"What is it?" Gatomon asked in a hushed tone while everyone else listened amusedly to Veemon and Davis.

"I sense that dark energy again." Wizardmon groaned. "It's not very far from us."

Gatomon looked behind them. "There is a Control Spire fairly close to us. Maybe that's it."

"No, it's something more." Wizardmon said.

"What's this about a dark energy?" Rika whispered as she appeared beside them.

"I don't remember inviting you into our conversation." Wizardmon snapped.

"I don't think you remember that our minds are connected." Rika snapped back. "I can hear everything you think."

"Eavesdropper." Wizardmon huffed.

"It's not like I _want _to!" Rika hissed.

A loud roar made them jump and spin around. They noticed a hulking figure walking towards their recently finished bridge. "What does he think he's doing?" T.K. gasped.

"Looks like he's heading for the bridge!" Davis realized.

"Maybe he's just admiring the detailed architecture." Cody said hopefully.

"Yeah or a way to blow it up." Kari said.

"No, not again!" Yolei groaned.

"Davis!" Veemon called.

Davis took out his D3. "Yeah! Digi-Armor Energize!"

"_Veemon Armor Digivolve to….Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship."_

Davis jumped onto Raidramon's back and they sprinted down the hill. The others charged down after him and towards the hulking figure already beginning to destroy the bridge. "Hey I know that Digimon!" Rika announced. "It's a Minotarumon! Watch out for his left hand; it's encased in iron! He'll destroy that bridge in seconds!"

"Not my bridge!" Davis called. "Get him!"

"_Thunder Blast!"_ Raidramon launched the attack, but Minotarumon smacked the blast aside and then proceeded to smack Raidramon and Davis into the water.

"Davis!" T.K. called. "Taking a swim?"

"Very funny T.P.! A little help here?" Davis shouted back.

Raidramon shot towards Minotarumon but he was knocked aside again. "Davis is gonna mess this up again!" Yolei growled. "Hawkmon!"

"My pleasure!" Hawkmon said, flying up.

"_Hawkmon digivolve to…..Aquilamon!"_

Aquilamon shot down and picked Minotarumon in his talons. But Minotarumon wiggled so much he ended up falling and crashed into the bridge, leaving a crater.

Yolei face palmed. "Oy vey."

"My turn!" Rika pulled out her sword, but T.K. took her arm.

"You better stay out of this." T.K. suggested.

"Give me one good reason why." Rika snapped.

"Hold on!" Kari called. "That thing's a Control Spire!" Everyone looked to see Aquilamon's talons tore off some of the evil Digimon's shell, revealing the obsidian core beneath.

"It's not real!" Cody realized.

"It's real enough!" T.K. said. "Let's get him!"

"You got it!" Kari nodded, looking to Gatomon. The cat glared back determinedly.

"You ready?" T.K. asked Patamon, who matched Gatomon's glare.

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to…..Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"_

"_Patamon Armor Digivolve to…Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"_

The two Digimon created their Golden Noose and wrapped it around Minotarumon, restricting his movement. Raidramon leaped from the waters and launched a powerful Thunder Blast, successfully destroying the evil Digimon.

"Now you're talking!" Davis cheered. Then, his eyes widened at the sight of the bridge, now with a good-sized crater in it from where Minotarumon hit. "Oh no! Looks like he took a big bite out of it!"

"So much for all our hard work." Rika sighed, sheathing her blade. Raidramon dedigivolved back to Veemon and he and Davis climbed back up to the others. Together, the DigiDestined walked over to the crater to survey the damage.

Davis fell to his knees, groaning hopelessly. "I feel so violated."

T.K. smiled. "We still respect you."

"That's right Davis." Kari chimed in. "We're just gonna have to rebuild it again. And it'll be easier this time."

"She's right you know." Cody said. "We really learned a lot from all of our mistakes."

"Yeah, and this will give you the chance to make new mistakes." Yolei joked.

Davis groaned again. "But I liked my old mistakes better."

"I'm sure you won't miss them." Rika smirked.

Davis blinked, as though suddenly realizing something. "Hey. Speaking of mistakes we should ask Ken to help."

His statement was met with numerous shocked and somewhat outraged responses from his fellow DigiDestined, sans Rika and Wizardmon who remained quiet.

"Thanks for the support." Davis said sarcastically. "But seriously, I bet he'd jump at the chance to help us."

"I don't know." Cody said. "I don't trust him."

"You may be right but he's the only one who _can _help." Davis protested.

Cody thought for a moment, his eyes downcast. "Well…..I'm just not comfortable around him. It's hard for people to really change."

"When given the chance it makes things easier." Rika said.

"I think it's too risky." Cody said.

"You got a point." Davis admitted. "But I have a good feeling about it, Cody."

"Really?" Cody asked almost disbelievingly. "But why, Davis?"

"That Digi-Egg." Davis said. "If you had seen what I saw you'd believe in him too. I mean, his Crest of Kindness turned into a golden Digi-Egg. It was the most amazing thing. You're gonna think I'm crazy when I say this, but I guess you already think I'm crazy so here it goes: that Digi-Egg believed in him. And it was like it was telling me _I _could believe in him too." Davis smiled. "It almost felt like it was asking me to go ahead and trust him. I know that's not very logical, but then again neither am I! All I know is he has to have the Crest of Kindness for a reason! And what about his Digimon? He believes in him too! I think it's because Wormmon knew it was in his heart. He's good, I know it."

"He certainly seems repentant for what he's done." Rika noted. "One of the first steps to forgiveness is admitting you were wrong about something and saying you're sorry." She cast a soft look towards Wizardmon but looked away a second later.

"But what if you're wrong Davis? And besides he's made it clear he doesn't want to be part of our team." Kari noted.

"Yeah I know." Davis said. "But I'm an optimist."

"Goody for you." T.K. said. "But realistically he could still be bad to the bone! I think Cody is right; he usually is."

"How can you guys hold such a grudge?" Rika demanded.

"You weren't there when Ken did all that horrible stuff as the Digimon Emperor." Cody said. "You don't know what he did."

Rika scoffed. "Sure, keep believing that."

Everyone fell into silence, broken by Yolei's yawn. "I'm bored and all this talking isn't getting us anywhere. Don't forget that crazy white-haired chick is still out there and she's up to no good."

"Then what are we doing just standing here?" Rika demanded. "Why don't we actually _look _for this 'crazy white-haired chick' and find out what she's doing in the Digital World?"

"We don't necessarily want to cause a conflict with her." T.K. said.

"That's better than standing around like a bunch of yahoos." Rika said.

"Hey guys." Cody piped up, catching their attention. He stared at his D-terminal. "It's a message from Izzy. 'I'm getting a real bizarre signal. It's not too far from you. Check it out.' Hey it looks like the sector where Ken's base went down."

"Let's get moving!" Davis urged, spurring the rest of them to start running (or in Hawkmon's and Patamon's cases, flying) towards the sector Izzy labeled on the map. Veemon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Hawkmon digivolved to Raidramon, Pegasusmon, Nefertimon, and Aquilamon and the others climbed on, making the journey much shorter. Rika rode Pegasusmon with T.K., staring straight ahead.

_Hey Rika? _Wizardmon's voice echoed in Rika's head.

_Yeah? _Rika responded mentally.

_When you were talking earlier about forgiveness and admitting someone was wrong….._

_I was talking about our little…..disagreement._

_I suppose I did overreact a little._

_No, you had every right to respond the way you did. You've been through a lot and now we're in a situation once again where my life can be put in danger. I know you can be protective of me and I never took that into consideration. Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever really take that into consideration. I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry too. You're not that same little girl I met four years ago. I haven't even realized it but you've grown in the past four years._

_Well we've both been through a lot._

There was a pause, then Rika felt Wizardmon's aura change to a more positive one. _Thank you for understanding._

_Thanks for being a great Digimon partner._

* * *

The DigiDestined finally reached the sandy, desert-like area and landed several hundred yards from Ken's downed base. The Digimon dedigivolved and everyone gathered close.

Yolei had her D-terminal out and talked to Izzy as they landed. "What's going on? Can you tell?"

"_My theory is that a major power source is about to melt down." _Izzy spoke from the other end of the line. _"If you guys don't shut it down, and I mean fast, it'll explode!"_

"What do you mean 'explode'?" Davis demanded.

"_I mean 'explode,'" _Izzy said as though it obvious. _"You know, 'boom'?"_

"This is bad." Cody groaned. "But what can we do?"

Davis thought for a moment, then gasped softly in realization. "The Crest of Kindness. I'll bet it's because Ken's Crest isn't there anymore. I don't care what anyone says, we need Ken's help and we need it now!" He started typing away on his D-terminal.

"But Davis….." Cody tried to protest.

"Shouldn't we talk about this?" Yolei suggested.

"We just did." Davis snapped. "You guys are going to have to trust me on this. I know I'm right and we don't have much time."

"I think Davis is right." Rika said. "Even if we don't want Ken a part of our group, we will need his Crest to shut down that power source."

Wizardmon's ghostly form appeared beside Rika. He looked troubled. Gatomon looked up worriedly. "Wizardmon? Do you sense something?"

"A dark energy in that base." Wizardmon said. "It's not as strong when we're this far away but it's still there."

"But I thought you could only sense auras and energies from living things." Cody said. "Are you saying there's something alive in there?"

"I can't tell." Wizardmon growled a little in frustration. "It's evil, it's moving like a living person but there's no Life Flame. I don't fully understand it and I _do not _like it."

"It's okay, we'll figure it out." Rika soothed. "No need to get worked up and no need to overthink it."

"Why not?" Wizardmon demanded.

"Because you seem to forget that our minds are connected." Rika said. "Whenever you think super hard about something it makes my brain hurt." She paused. "Hey wait, I feel something else."

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked.

"Another aura, and this one with a Life Flame." Rika responded. "I think it's the same one Wizardmon felt before."

"Before?" Kari asked. "When?"

A sudden explosion prevented further discussion, and they all turned to see a column of smoke and purple flames coming from the base. "This is crazy!" T.K. said. "What do you expect us to do, Davis?"

Davis groaned in frustration. "Where's Ken? When he was the Emperor we were always tripping over him!"

"Wizardmon, go find him." Rika ordered. "Make sure he finds us."

"You'll have to meditate to get me out far enough." Wizardmon reminded her.

"I know." Rika sat down and crossed her legs. "Just go."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Yolei asked.

"Wizardmon and I can come out as spirits whenever we like." Rika explained. "But if we want to go a long distance away the one in control of the physical body has to meditate." She folded her hands and closed her eyes, focusing her energy. Wizardmon took off into the sky, searching for Ken's aura to better track him. Then, he caught a sense of an evil aura, this one smaller and supported by a Life Flame as Rika described earlier. He looked down and saw a figure standing before a small TV, seeming to be talking to it. Wizardmon narrowed his eyes in suspicion and confusion.

* * *

Wormmon hoped that since Ken stopped being the Digimon Emperor the boy would listen to him more often. But it seemed he forgot that Ken was always stubborn even before he became the Digimon Emperor. Hence his constant speaking to that evil woman in Ken's computer despite Wormmon's constant pleas for him to ignore her. Something about that woman made Wormmon very nervous, and it wasn't just because she looked witch-like.

The sound of the telephone interrupted Wormmon's thoughts. "Hmm. Telephone. Oh Ken!" Ken didn't seem to hear, too focused on the white-haired woman on his computer screen.

"_Oh yes you're _so _special." _The woman said sarcastically, rubbing a lock of her hair. Ken growled in frustration and anger.

Wormmon stared at his partner worriedly. _What now?_

"_The truth is any pretty little boy would have been as good." _The woman shrugged.

"You used me!" Ken snapped.

"_Of course I did you little fool." _The woman droned, making Ken angrier. _"Temper, temper! But you were always so easy to manipulate. The perfect toy. Oh, I meant to say tool. And you thought building the Control Spires was _your _idea! Ha!"_

"What are you talking about?" Ken growled.

In the meantime, the phone continued to ring in the background. Wormmon looked back and forth between the phone and his human partner. "I can't take this anymore." He mumbled, picking up the phone. "Hello? Ichijōji residence. I'm sorry, Ken's busy right now. Could you please hang up and try your call again later?"

"_Are you…..the operator?" _Izzy's voice came from the other end.

"No, I'm the Digimon." Wormmon replied. "May I help you?"

"_You must be Wormmon." _Izzy realized. _"You seem bright enough to me."_

Wormmon blinked. "Thank you…I think…what have you heard about me?"

"_Oh never mind!" _Izzy said urgently. _"This is an emergency! I need to speak to Ken right away!"_

_Perfect! Just what Ken needs right now. _Wormmon said. "One second please." He turned to Ken, who still faced the computer and that awful woman. Wormmon felt his blood boil a bit when he heard the woman insulting Ken. _That does it! _"Oh just hang up on her. She's not a nice woman and this is Digital World is in trouble, Ken. They need you right away. That boy Davis is sending emails."

Ken turned to Wormmon, gasping in surprise. Then he turned to glare at the woman again. "You knew about this didn't you?!"

"_Maybe I did."_ The woman replied simply.

"_Ken!"_

Ken and the woman gasped softly. The woman spun around and Ken noticed Wizardmon floating in the background. _"You again you little pest?" _the woman growled.

"_Ken!" _Wizardmon called, ignoring the woman. _"We need your help! Your base is about to explode and we need your Crest!"_

Ken's eyes widened. "What?" He turned to Wormmon and quickly took the phone from the Digimon. "Who is this?"

"_It's Izzy." _Izzy replied. _"You need to get to the Digital World as soon as possible and take your Crest. I think Davis may actually be right this time! His theory is the power source of your base can only be contained by your Crest! It's a good theory!"_

"_Oh Emperor boy!" _the woman called again teasingly.

Ken kept his glare. "I have a little theory of my own to check out."

The woman chuckled evilly. _"Very clever but I'm still ahead of you."_

"Not for long." Wormmon assured.

"_Just get out of here and leave them alone!" _Wizardmon ordered.

"_Or what?" _the woman asked, turning to Wizardmon. _"Are you going to stop me with an attack that'll go right through me?"_

Ken's glare deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"_I know all about Wizardmon's little predicament with his trainer." _The woman said. _"How does it feel, Wizardmon? To be so completely useless to your partner?"_

"Shut up and leave him alone!" Ken shouted.

The woman laughed again. _"I have more important business to attend to. Farewell Emperor Boy." _A burst of dust and sand erupted around her and she disappeared from sight.

Wizardmon ran to the TV and stood in front of it. _"Ken. Get your Crest and get over here _now._"_

"Stand back Wizardmon!" Ken ordered, grabbing his Crest from his desk drawer and stuffing it in his pocket. He grabbed his D3 and Wormmon joined him as they shot through the computer and into the Digital World. Wizardmon jumped back as the boy and insect Digimon materialized before him.

"Everyone's this way, come on!" Wizardmon floated several feet off the ground while Ken and Wormmon ran after him.

"Oh dear." Wormmon groaned. "What's that?" They looked ahead to see a column of purple flames and black smoke.

"That's the base." Wizardmon explained.

"Wizardmon, you go back to Rika in case she needs your help." Ken said.

"I'm a ghost now, Ken. I can't attack or even defend against anything." Wizardmon argued.

"I would feel better if Rika had her partner with her." Ken said. "Just go!"

"All right, I'll do it. Just follow the column of smoke." Wizardmon instructed. "You'll find us!"

"You just get back to Rika and the others." Ken said. "We'll meet you there!"

"Please hurry Ken!" Wizardmon called as he flew off and disappeared.

Ken nodded as he and Wormmon ran across the sand, keeping the column of smoke in sight. _What was I thinking? _Ken growled to himself.

"You're thinking too much again." Wormmon panted.

"That's because I have to find a way to end this!" Ken said. His thoughts traveled back to Sam, and the days that followed after he lost him. "She used my pain and guilt to control me! I'm guilty of too much already." He glared in determination and put on more speed. "Not this time!"

* * *

Another explosion rang out and more smoke flew up into the air. "Another one." Cody groaned. "Do you think maybe we should all move back a little?"

Wizardmon suddenly appeared beside Rika, allowing her to stop meditating and stand up. "Ken's on his way."

"Great job Wizardmon." Rika said. Another explosion erupted, the shockwave blowing sand into the DigiDestined's faces.

"It's getting worse!" Kari cried.

"So where's Ken, huh?" Yolei demanded.

"I'm sure he's on his way!" Davis assured.

"He's a little far out but he'll be here!" Wizardmon assured. "He won't let us—" He froze, then turned and glared. "She's back."

Everyone turned to see a strange woman, like the one Palmon and Wizardmon described, standing off to one side and smirking evilly. "Who invited her?" Yolei demanded.

"Maybe Ken sent his secretary instead." Cody said.

"You children are all so terribly rude." The woman droned. "Always interfering in my business." She reached up and pulled out several of her white hairs, holding them up to the wind. _"Spirit Needle!"_ The hairs became straight and stiff and flew into ten of the Control Spires that surrounded them. The obsidian obelisks flew high into the air and congregated in the sky, shifting and forming a large, beetle-like Digimon much to the DigiDestined's shock.

"Destroy them!" the woman ordered.

"Well now I've seen it all!" Kari gasped.

"How does she do that thing?" Yolei cried.

"I don't know but she sure is good at it!" Cody gulped a little.

"Bad news guys." Rika groaned. "That's Okuwamon, an Ultimate Level bug Digimon with a Double Scissor Claw attack that we _definitely _don't want to experience."

"It's show time guys." T.K. called as Okuwamon landed before them, ready to fight. The DigiDestined took out their D3s, activating their Digimon's digivolutions.

"_Veemon digivolve to….ExVeemon!"_

"_Hawkmon digivolve to…Aquilamon!"_

"_Armadillomon digivolve to…Ankylomon!"_

Wizardmon groaned. "And here I am of no help at all. If I could at least be solid again he wouldn't stand a chance."

"Don't worry about it." Kari assured. "You got Ken and helped guide him toward us. We'll take care of this overgrown bug."

"_V Laser!"_ ExVeemon shot his signature attack.

"_Blast Rings!"_ Aquilamon shot the rings from his mouth. Both attacks hit Okuwamon but he only shouted in pain and hardly stumbled.

"_Tail Hammer!"_ Ankylomon tuck and rolled, but Okuwamon smacked him aside and into the sand. Cody gasped and ran towards his Digimon.

"He'd be kitty kibble if I could become Angewomon." Gatomon growled.

"You go girl!" Patamon encouraged.

"Well you can't." T.K. said regretfully. "So you'll just have to do what you can. Got me?" Gatomon and Patamon nodded, and their trainers took out their D3s.

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to….Nefertimon, Angel of Light!"_

"_Patamon digivolve to….Angemon!"_

"_Double Scissor Claw!"_ Okuwamon swiped at Aquilamon, knocking the large bird out of the air and forcing him to crash into the sand. The bird Digimon suddenly dedigivolved, much to Yolei's horror.

"Hawkmon!" she ran over to her fallen Digimon. "No, stop!"

Angemon flew in as Okuwamon advanced towards the fallen bird. _"Hand of Fate!"_ He threw is signature and one of his most powerful attacks, but it only seemed to make Okuwamon angrier. The Control Spire Digimon smacked Angemon out of the sky with a blow strong enough to make him dedigivolve to Patamon again.

"Patamon!" T.K. cried as he ran over to him.

"Angemon's attack is most effective against evil Digimon." Kari realized. "That thing's not even a Digimon!"

Meanwhile, the rest of the Digimon received serious blows, forcing them to dedigivolve and lay near-helpless in the sand. Only ExVeemon could escape Okuwamon's wrathful strikes. The DigiDestined children ran to their fallen partners, staring worriedly and futilely attempting to protect their Digimon.

Rika glared at the destruction around her. "I can't just sit here anymore. I'm going in!"

"Rika no!" Wizardmon protested. "It's too dangerous!"

Rika didn't listen as she drew her sword and ran into the battle. "Hey you stupid overgrown beetle! You leave my friends alone!" She jumped up and raised her sword, slashing the blade across Okuwamon's hard shell. Her sharp blade left a scratch, but not much more. Nonetheless, she continued to attack the much-larger-than-her Digimon.

Ken and Wormmon put on a fresh burst of speed when they saw the large Okuwamon facing off against ExVeemon and Rika. "My turn?" Wormmon asked, with a determined glare.

Ken took out his D3. "Hero time, Wormmon!" A bright light surrounded Wormmon.

"_Wormmon digivolve to…..Stingmon!"_

Stingmon shot up into the air and flew towards Okuwamon, jabbing him with his Lightning Strike to stop the beetle Digimon from attacking ExVeemon.

"What took you so long?!" ExVeemon shouted.

"Welcome to the party Stingmon!" Rika called. Okuwamon suddenly swung an arm around and swatted Rika aside. The girl screamed as she flew through the air, her sword dropping from her hand. Ken and Davis looked up and simultaneously gasped when they saw Rika hit. The raven-haired girl slammed into Ken and they hit the ground.

"Nice catch, Ken." Rika groaned as she stood up, helping Ken to his feet.

"This is why I told you to stay out of fights." Wizardmon said.

"Not now." Rika snapped as she scooped up her sword and returned to battle.

"Rika, stop!" Ken shouted. "Come back!"

Wizardmon disappeared inside Rika to speak to her. _You need to listen to Ken; it's too dangerous._

_We've been over this before Wizardmon. _Rika mentally snapped, slashing her blade. _I can't just stand back and do nothing._

_Rika please. _Wizardmon practically begged. _You have to listen to me._

_I know you're scared. _Rika assured, running up Okuwamon's leg and jumping around to avoid his strikes. _I'm a little freaked out too. But I won't let that get in the way of protecting my friends._

_Rika, I have every faith in you and your abilities with martial arts and that sword. And I am in no way scared. _Wizardmon assured, mostly lying on that last sentence. _But you're going to need more than your natural skills to beat this thing. You'd need the power of an Ultimate Level Digimon._

Something clicked in Rika's head. _Or maybe just the power of a really strong Champion Level Digimon. Like a certain Majin I know._

Even though she couldn't see it, Rika swore she could feel Wizardmon's eyes widening. _ARE YOU CRAZY?!_

Rika winced. _You realize if you mentally shout I can hear it very clearly?_

_Rika, I know what you're thinking and I'm telling you now that it's not going to happen! _Wizardmon snapped.

_Wizardmon, if you can channel your attacks like Magical Game and Thunder Ball through me, I can better attack Okuwamon. _Rika reasoned, dodging another swipe from the large beetle.

_Rika, I've only witnessed the success of such attacks once_. Wizardmon said. _What if I put too much power forth and it kills you?_

_Wizardmon, you need to trust me._ Rika pleaded. _I know you want to protect me, but I want to protect _you_. We need to work together like we always used to or we'll be torn apart, figuratively speaking of course._

_Rika…_

_I can do this. Trust me._

Wizardmon didn't answer for a moment before he gulped a little. _You think you can handle it?_

Rika smiled. _I am as you trained me. Let's do this._

Wizardmon shook a little. _Okay. Okay fine. But if you feel pain or like you can't handle it let me know. Don't pull any bravery stunts, okay?_

_Wizardmon, together you and I are invincible. _Rika assured. _Now give me something to work with._

As she fought, Davis and Ken continued to argue over taking the Crest into the base to stop the explosion. Both Ken and Stingmon seemed determined to go at it alone.

"What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?" Davis demanded. "That's a genius move."

"It's my base, my Crest, and my fault." Ken determined. "No one else is going to die for my mistakes. Understand?" He looked up towards Rika. "Rika! Get out of there right now! You can't fight him alone!"

"I'm never alone!" Rika shouted, back flipping off Okuwamon and landing several feet away. "I have my friends by my side wherever I go. Wizardmon will always rest within me. And with Wizardmon's power we'll be unstoppable." She raised her sword, and the air became full of static as though an electric storm came.

"Rika what are you doing?" Davis shouted.

Rika felt a strange energy surging within her. _This must be what you feel like when you use this attack._

_Yes. _Wizardmon said. _And when the time is right, attack._

Rika smirked and pointed her sword towards Okuwamon. _"Magical Game!"_

A burst of blue lightning shot from Rika's blade, nailing Okuwamon in the head and forcing him to stumble backwards. Everyone stared in shock, amazed by the feat. Rika's bangs stood up a little from the electricity and she looked thoroughly shocked by what happened.

"That…..was…awesome!" Rika laughed giddily. She took off towards Okuwamon. "Wizardmon give me a Thunder Ball!"

_Coming up! _Wizardmon nodded, surprised but happy by the success. Rika threw a couple Thunder Ball attacks, slashing her sword again. Okuwamon roared and swiped at Rika, missing every time.

"How does she do that?" Kari breathed. "Those are Wizardmon's attacks!"

"She's using Wizardmon's attacks because he's within her." Ken breathed. "That's amazing."

Davis looked to Ken. "We know the risks. See? Rika knows them and she doesn't care. None of us do."

"Have you forgotten?" Ken demanded. "I was the Digimon Emperor. I was a monster!"

"And I am as guilty as Ken." Stingmon said. "I didn't stop him."

"You two need to chill!" ExVeemon snapped.

"It's not completely you're fault!" Rika chimed in, throwing a Thunder Ball.

Ken clenched his fists, staring at the sand. "The only way I'll feel like a human again instead of a monster is to erase all trace of my evil. To fix things. The only way to do that is with my own hands."

"But Ken…." Davis tried to protest.

"He still has nightmares. Horrible ones." Stingmon explained. "But then, mine are worse."

"It doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I can accomplish my goal!" Ken shouted.

"Enough!" Davis snapped, slapping Ken. The raven-haired boy flinched, but didn't say a word. Davis glared at him. "I'm tired of your big bad wolf act!"

"He means lone wolf!" ExVeemon pointed out.

"That's what I mean, what he said!" Davis said. "I'm not going to let you do this by yourself, get it?! What about the people who care about you? At least think of your Digimon! Look at Rika!" Davis pointed to Rika as she continued her assault on Okuwamon. "She and Wizardmon are risking a lot by doing what they're doing but they're doing it for you! For all of us! We're here, we're helping and that's that! Wake up, Ichijōji!"

"Yeah wake up, Stingmon!" ExVeemon chimed in. "Here's your chance to stop him from doing something stupid!"

"That's what I said!" Davis said. "You're the genius Ken, _you _figure it out!"

"If I'm not here…" Ken murmured.

"_Then what?!" _Davis demanded.

Ken felt tears building up, but he fought them back. ExVeemon kept his glare on Stingmon. "Davis is right! Then what? How will you fix your mistakes if you're not here? I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know that much!"

Rika shouted in pain as Okuwamon suddenly smacked her to the sand. She panted a little, shaking as she tried to rise. "Wow….using your attacks is taking a lot of energy."

_I feel it too. _Wizardmon panted. _We need to stop._

_But we hardly left a dent in that thing! _Rika still panted. _What do we do?_

Stingmon looked down, pondering ExVeemon's words. "You're right. I guess neither of us have been thinking very clearly."

"Okay so you messed up a few times, you think I haven't?" Davis demanded. "I do it all the time. Don't give up! Fix it!"

Ken shrunk back a little. "I don't know how."

"Do you think I do?" Davis scoffed. "You just keep trying until something works. And when it gets really bad, you hang with your friend. Because they're always your friends, even when you mess up!"

Ken squeezed his eyes shut. "Great! So what if you don't happen to have any friends?"

Ken and Davis suddenly jumped when bright lights emitted from their pockets, and they pulled out the source: their D3s. Stingmon and ExVeemon became enveloped in a strange teal glow.

Wizardmon suddenly appeared beside Rika. "That's incredible."

"What is it?" Rika asked.

"Davis's and Ken's Life Flames and auras have synced perfectly." Wizardmon said. "It's as though they're one person like us!"

"Hey, something's happening with ExVeemon and Stingmon!" Rika pointed to the two Digimon, both encased in spheres of light. Then, the lights combined into one.

"_ExVeemon…..Stingmon….DNA Digivolve to…Paildramon!"_

Everyone stared in shock at the new Digimon that stood where ExVeemon and Stingmon once did, looking very similar to both Digimon.

"What…..is…that?" Rika breathed.


	13. Fusion Confusion

**Episode 27: Fusion Confusion**

"_ExVeemon…..Stingmon….DNA Digivolve to…Paildramon!"_

Everyone stared in shock at the new Digimon that stood where ExVeemon and Stingmon once did, looking very similar to both Digimon. The skin, armor, and wings all derived from both of the Digimon, only with the added bonus of a red helmet and a pair of machine guns at his hips.

"What…..is…that?" Rika breathed.

"Take your best shot!" Paildramon taunted.

Davis and Ken continued to stare in shock and awe. "Paildramon?"

"That's us!" Paildramon's voice came out as a simultaneous use of ExVeemon's and Stingmon's voices.

"They became one." T.K. breathed.

"How could he possibly win?" Yolei wondered aloud.

"You just watch me, Yolei!" Paildramon assured. He prepared for a fight, ready to take down Okuwamon, who responded with a defiant roar. Paildramon laid down the first blow, flying towards Okuwamon with a spinning back kick to the larger Digimon's cheek. Okuwamon hit the sand. "Ready for Round Two?" Paildramon laughed. Okuwamon roared again and shot towards the smaller Digimon, attempting to crush the hybrid in his scissor-like claws. Paildramon managed to hold them back and even threw Okuwamon aside. _"Cable Catcher!"_ His fingers seemed to detach from his hands and the long cables attached wrapped around Okuwamon's legs. "You're grounded!" Paildramon growled as he threw Okuwamon back to the sand. The DigiDestined watched, awestruck by the power of this Digimon hybrid.

"He fights something fierce!" Armadillomon said.

"Yes, he's most certainly beating the tar out of that Okuwamon chap." Hawkmon agreed.

"Yeah, but does he have to make it look so easy?" Patamon complained. "It makes the rest of us look like weaklings."

"He's tearing up Okuwamon like he was a scratching post." Gatomon noted.

"But I don't understand why he had to merge with Ken's Digimon." Cody said.

Okuwamon shot up toward Paildramon, who darted away just in time and kicked the beetle Digimon's back to force him down again. "Going down?" he taunted.

Rika jumped at the impact from Okuwamon hitting the sand. "Wow! Talk about power!"

"This is amazing!" Wizardmon breathed. "I've heard of two Digimon combining to make one stronger Digimon but I thought it couldn't be done!"

"Didn't _we_ do the exact same thing?"Rika raised an eyebrow.

"It's complicated."Wizardmon shrugged.

"Our Digimon is great!" Davis cheered.

"'Our' Digimon?" Ken repeated.

"We're working together now." Davis said. "That's the power of friendship!"

"I guess….." Ken said a little uncertainly. He watched as Paildramon, the combination of ExVeemon and his best friend, shot up and started punching and kicking Okuwamon's jaw. "I don't know if I like this idea of a shared Digimon." Davis didn't seem to hear, too busy cheering on Paildramon.

"Quick!" Paildramon ordered. "Use the Crest of Kindness!"

"The what?" Ken and Davis asked, sharing a look. "Oh yeah!" They sprinted towards the fallen base, having come so close to forgetting about it.

"Don't forget about us!" T.K. called as the other DigiDestined hurried to catch up.

"Yeah let's go!" Kari urged.

"Hurry up!" Davis called. "We don't have all day, slowpokes!"

"Shut your trap before I shut it for you!" Rika snapped. They continued to run through the sand until the opening to the base came in sight. But Davis and Ken ran far ahead of the others.

"Davis, wait!" T.K. groaned. "His feet are faster than his brains!"

"There it is!" Ken pointed to a large hole in the side of the base. "The entrance to the cave!" Ken and Davis disappeared inside, leaving the others far behind.

"Those two are going to get themselves killed." Kari groaned. "Come on!" They finally reached the opening and carefully stepped inside, taking into account the amount of rubble and debris and otherwise dangerous obstacles that, if not taken carefully, could lead to a broken bone.

Not that it stopped Davis and Ken.

"There's no way they'll get through all this rubble." T.K. said. But much to their surprise, Ken and Davis skillfully leaped off and over rocks and pipes and wires and safely made it to the other side, leaving everyone else very much surprised yet relieved.

"Uh….I suppose Ken and Davis just didn't hear you, T.K." Yolei said.

"Let's just go!" Rika urged, helping everyone get down so they could follow Davis and Ken. Once they got past the initial pile of rubble the pathway became much smoother so they could run easier.

However, as they ran closer to the engine room, Wizardmon began falling behind. The ghostly Digimon suddenly stopped and floated lower to the ground, groaning a little as though in pain. Gatomon stopped and approached her friend with a worried look. "Wizardmon? You okay?"

"The deeper we go into this place the more uncomfortable I feel." Wizardmon's fists clenched. "Rika, maybe we should wait outside."

"We'll be of the most help here." Rika protested. "Paildramon can take care of Okuwamon."

"I just don't like the feeling I'm getting from this place." Wizardmon said.

Rika could see her Digimon was _extremely _troubled. She approached him and smiled softly. "I think you're just a little jittery and maybe overtired from our recent fight. Why don't you come back in me and rest for a while?"

Wizardmon sighed. "All right. Just be careful."

"You rest for now." Rika ordered gently. "Don't worry about a thing." Wizardmon nodded and disappeared. Rika stood and turned to the other DigiDestined. "Well what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

They continued on to the engine room, but by the time they arrived the power already began to shut down. Davis and Ken stood before a large generator, Ken's Crest of Kindness back in its place below its symbol.

"It worked!" Davis cheered. The rest of the DigiDestined cheered and congratulated their friends, all of them greatly relieved the danger passed.

Cody's D-terminal beeped and he pulled it out. "Hey, it's a message from Izzy!"

"What's it say?" Kari asked.

"The warp's back to normal!" Cody reported.

"All right!" Yolei cheered. "Score one for the good guys!"

"That's all we get?" Patamon scoffed with a smile. "All that work and we only get one point? T.K?"

"You get two." T.K. assured.

"And it's all thanks to your Crest." Davis told Ken.

Ken didn't speak, but he did smile a little. Rika came up and hugged him tight. "Way to go, Ken!"

"You're…..crushing…..my…..lungs!" Ken gasped. Rika laughed and set her friend down.

_BOOM!_

They all jumped at the loud explosion, staring worriedly at the ceiling. The ground shook beneath their feet and surges of what looked like green electricity sparked around the room. "What's going on?" Kari gasped.

"For some reason shutting down the reactor isn't stopping the explosion!" Cody realized.

"Heads up!" Rika shouted as more small explosions erupted above their heads. They ran off just as debris rained down on the spots they once stood in.

"Ugh!" Yolei groaned. "My hat's great in the rain but it doesn't work on concrete!"

"You and me both!" Rika gulped, holding onto her witch's hat as though it would fly off.

Cody's D-terminal beeped again and he hurriedly pulled it out. "Izzy says the warp is getting worse not better! The Crest didn't work!"

"How can that be?" Davis demanded. "We did everything we were supposed to do! We put the Crest of Kindness back where it belongs!"

"I knew something like this would happen." Ken growled a little. "My Crest is meaningless."

"No!" Cody insisted. "The Crest of Kindness should've stopped the explosion. There must be something else about this place that we don't know!"

"There has to be another energy source or the explosion would've stopped!" Rika added. "Maybe there's another reactor or engine or something!"

"Is there something you're not telling us, Ken?" Cody demanded. "There's something wrong here. And if there was anyone who would know what it was that person would have to be you."

Another small explosion rang out. "This place is gonna collapse!" Davis cried.

"Can't you or Wizardmon sense anything?" T.K. asked Rika. "You two are the energy readers here!"

"Wizardmon's still resting." Rika said. "But I do sense a dark energy in this base. It's a little far off from here so it's not the reactor."

"That woman's behind all this trouble!" Kari realized.

"Yeah knock it off!" Yolei shouted to the ceiling. "You're a real bad egg, lady!"

"_And soon you will all be scrambled."_

They whipped around to a nearby TV monitor, its screen lit up and showing the strange, white-haired woman. "You don't scare us!" Kari said bravely. "We'll beat you yet!"

"_Ha." _The woman scoffed._ "You don't even seem to know if you're fighting the right enemy or if your friends are really your friends."_

"You'll never win!" Davis shouted.

"_Oh but that's exactly what I'll do." _the woman laughed evilly and the monitor shut off.

In anger, Rika scooped up a piece of rubble and threw it at the TV, smashing its screen. "I really hate that lady."

_She's trying to turn them against me. _Ken glared at the ground, his fists clenched and his eyes locked on… _Wait. The pipes! _"Why of course!" He followed the pipes' trail to a dark corridor some feet away. "We've got to follow these pipes!" He took off running.

"Hey, where is he going?" Davis asked.

"Ken, wait up!" Rika called, running after her friend. The others followed, quickly catching up with the raven-haired kids and all of them journeying deeper into the base. The dark corridor began to light up a little, revealing red walls, floor, and ceiling that looked almost like the esophagus of a living creature. The base continued to shake as the explosion seemed to become more and more imminent.

"What're we doing down here, Ken?" Gatomon asked.

"These pipes send energy to the reactor above." Ken explained. "Following them will lead us right to the source of its power. If we plug that source, we should be able to stop the reactor from exploding."

"Then let's hurry!" Yolei urged. "We're wasting time by just standing around." They all nodded in agreement and hurried down the corridor with Ken leading the way.

"You think Paildramon is okay?" Rika asked.

"What makes you ask that?" Armadillomon asked.

"I just thought he'd be in here with us if he took care of Okuwamon." Rika shrugged. "I don't know, I guess the Control Spire Digimon make me a little nervous. We have no way of knowing if this Okuwamon is stronger than a regular Okuwamon because this one's made from Control Spires."

"We'll worry about it later." Davis said. "I'm sure Paildramon is wiping the floor with Okuwamon."

"These tunnels give me the creeps." Gatomon groaned as the cavern shook again.

"You know, this reminds me of something." Patamon said softly.

"How much further do we have to go?" Davis asked.

"What's that?" T.K. asked. Seconds later, an explosion erupted several feet ahead of them, causing debris to avalanche down and block their path.

"Oh no!" Davis groaned.

"The tunnel's blocked!" Kari cried.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Rika rolled her eyes.

Kari decided to ignore the snide comment for now. "What're we gonna do?"

"Don't worry." Armadillomon assured. "Just leave it to ol' Armadillomon! _Diamond Shell!"_ He curled into a ball and rolled towards the debris, ramming into it and knocking it loose.

"_Feather Strike!"_ Hawkmon threw his feather ornament, the red and yellow blade slashing through the wires that hung from the ceiling and finally giving a clear path through the rubble. "Now we may continue."

"Let's do it!" Rika cheered, running ahead.

"Hey wait up!" Davis called as the others joined her.

"You guys are getting slow!" Rika laughed.

"Excuse us if we don't have the stamina of an Olympic athlete like you apparently do!" T.K. panted. "I would've thought you'd be tired to after fighting Okuwamon."

"It's really strange." Rika said. "For some reason I feel something giving me energy."

Nobody really questioned it again after that. They picked up speed as the shaking started getting worse. Small explosions echoed throughout the base and the DigiDestined could feel a sense of foreboding. Not only did they have limited time before the base exploded, but Rika brought up an excellent point about Paildramon. If he defeated Okuwamon already, wouldn't he come in after them? They couldn't communicate with him, so they had no idea what happened outside the walls of the base. What's more, something emitted a dark energy deep within the base, and energy that even the non-aura-readers could feel.

"There it is!" Ken pointed to the opening ahead of them. "The source of the reactor's power!"

"Boy if evil's got a color that's it!" Davis breathed.

They stared in shock at the inside of the room, which stood empty save for the towering, lumpy spire in the center. The rock seemed to form a snake that wrapped around the spire, the head sticking out a little and spewing a black cloud of energy from its open mouth. The spire had a purplish glow around it, making it look all the more deadly.

"It's so cold." Yolei whimpered.

"Are you kidding?" Rika scoffed. "It feels great! I can feel my strength returning to me; I feel like I could fight an army!"

"I feel like you've lost it." Cody said, rubbing his arms.

Rika rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She stared at the spire, clearly the source of the energy she received. _Then again, this thing is radiating with a powerful dark energy. Maybe this is what Wizardmon felt before that made him so troubled. But it feels so good; it's like being inside on a rainy day and then walking out into the sunshine. I can feel the energy soaking up into my very soul. It's giving me strength. I should be happy. _Her gaze shifted to each child and Digimon around her, who kept rubbing their arms as though they stood in a snowstorm. Clearly they looked concerned over the spire. _So why do I feel so conflicted? I have new strength to fight, but is it a bad thing if the source seems so evil?_

"This feeling…." T.K. murmured. _It's so strong…..so familiar…_

"I remember!" Patamon realized. "This feels just like when we were near that whirlpool."

"Yeah." T.K. spoke up. "I remember now. You're right Patamon; it _is _that same disturbing feeling."

"I felt it too." Kari said. "When I was pulled into the world that looked like a negative photograph. Everything that was supposed to be light was dark, even the light."

"The World of Darkness." Ken said solemnly. "This is a doorway that leads directly to the World of Darkness."

"How do you know?" Davis asked.

"Because I've been surrounded by this energy ever since I came to the Digital World." Ken replied.

"I can feel that thing's power building!" Kari's voice came out almost like a whimper. "We better do something quick."

"Yeah but what?" Yolei asked. They all jumped and shouted as explosions rang out again, raining down small bits of debris towards them.

"Come on!" Ken urged, spurring them into action. They slid down the incline towards the spire, some more gracefully than others but all careful to not fall and hurt themselves.

"Look! Up there!" Cody pointed to the snake mouth. "We've got to close the opening the dark power is coming through!"

"So what do you think we should do, Ken?" Davis asked.

"I don't really know but we've got to stop that power flow." Ken said. "There must be something around here we can use to stop it."

Another explosion, this one much closer to them. Rika shielded her face with her arm and her eyes suddenly widened. "Hey guys! I can stop it!"

"What?" Ken asked.

"Rika, what're you talking about?" Cody asked.

"We're dealing with dark energy here." Rika explained. "I'm the DigiDestined of Darkness. This is right up my alley!"

"Rika what're you doing?" Yolei demanded as Rika approached the spire.

"I'm going to absorb the dark energy into myself." Rika said. "Or maybe I can redirect it somewhere."

"Are you crazy? You could get killed!" Davis snapped.

"Unless you have a better idea, we're going to have to do it!" Rika reached her hands out.

"Rika no!" Ken moved to stop her but it was too late. Rika pressed her hands to the spire's surface and closed her eyes in concentration. The purple glow around the spire began to surround Rika as she started absorbing the energy from the spire.

"Hey, I think it's working!" Davis said. "It doesn't feel so bad anymore!"

"That's amazing!" Yolei breathed.

"But it also feels dangerous." Armadillomon gulped. "Can she handle that much energy?"

Ken thought back to when Rika took away the darkness within him, to help him look into his memories. "I think she's at least relieving the pressure to buy us more time. But she shouldn't stay on that for very long."

As if on cue, a grunt of pain escaped Rika's mouth. Her arms trembled, but she kept her hands on the spire. "Rika, you have to let go!" Kari called.

"No I can keep going!" Rika's voice came out strained but kept its strength.

"Rika, you've already relieved enough pressure!" Ken shouted. "Let go!"

"I can keep going!" Rika insisted. She grunted in pain again, and the purple glow around her seemed to get brighter. Rika's eyes shot open, only now the entirety of her eyes were pitch black.

Wizardmon's ghostly form flickered and then suddenly appeared beside Kari. He rubbed his eyes, looking like he just woke up (which he probably did). "What in the DigiWorld is going on?"

"Rika's trying to absorb the dark energy from this spire." Cody reported.

Instantly, Wizardmon was wide awake. _"What?!"_

"She's relieving some of the pressure from the energy source—" Ken started.

"No, no she can't!" Wizardmon shouted. "Rika! Rika stop! You'll kill yourself!"

"I can—" Rika's sentence turned into a blood-curdling scream as surges of black electricity sparked all over her body. Her head threw back and the dark energy seemed to seep out of her eyes like twin smokestacks. Ken rushed in and grabbed her shoulders, yanking her backwards and causing both of them to hit the ground. A large explosion erupted from the base of the spire where Rika held her hands, knocking all of the DigiDestined to the ground. When the smoke finally cleared, it seemed everyone was unharmed except for the now-unconscious Rika lying with her head in Ken's lap.

"Whoa what a doozy." Davis shook his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine but my pride is bruised." Yolei mumbled. "But look!" Everyone looked to see lights running up the spire and felt the energy tension rise.

"The power output is increasing!" Cody gasped.

"This looks like the end." T.K. groaned. A glowing liquid began seeping from the eyes of the stone snake, which continued to emit the dark cloud of energy from its mouth.

Rika moaned a little, her eyes beginning to open. "Ken?"

"Hey, Rika's waking up!" Ken announced.

"Ken…..did it work?" Rika breathed. She turned her head to see the spire and the increasing energy. She sighed sadly. "Then I failed. It's over."

"No…..it can't be!" Ken stood hurriedly.

Everyone stared at the spire, wishing they knew a way to shut it down. But they could feel the energy increasing, and therefore the danger. It was only a matter of time before it would explode and take them with it. They needed a miracle.

And one came crashing through the rock and stone in the form of a hybrid Digimon.

"Someone call for a hero?" Paildramon called. _"Desperado Blaster!"_ He launched twin blats from his machine guns right at the snake head, destroying it and stopping the power flow. Everyone jumped at the surge of power and stared at the remains of the snake head, both surprised and very impressed. "Do I know how to make an entrance or what?" Paildramon laughed.

"Paildramon!" Davis and Ken cheered.

Cody's D-terminal beeped yet again. "Izzy says the warp is returning to normal! And it's all thanks to Paildramon!"

"What am I? Chopped sushi?" Rika smirked, still looking tired but now strong enough to stand on her feet.

"You did great, Rika." Kari complimented.

"It was pretty dangerous and a little stupid." Gatomon huffed, but then smiled. "But it was really cool too."

"Save the accolades!" Paildramon said. "This was just a battle. The war is far from over."

* * *

The DigiDestined stood a safe distance away as Paildramon obliterated Ken's base into dust, completely wiping out anything that could be used for evil or otherwise.

"Yes." Ken said. "Blow it up so no one else can ever use it again."

"Kind of a shame." Rika sighed. "It was a pretty cool base."

"But it was used for evil and darkness and we can't have that." Ken protested.

Rika went silent, as did the others when they heard Ken's serious tone. Rika felt her glasses sliding down her nose and pushed them back up, sighing a little. _Darkness. They talk about it like it's a bad thing._

_He just means the evil darkness. _Wizardmon assured.

_What other kinds of darkness is there? _Rika asked. Wizardmon didn't answer, only making Rika feel worse.

It took another few rounds of Paildramon's Desperado Blaster to fully destroy the base, but they did a good job with it. When the hybrid Digimon dedigivolved, two baby Digimon came bouncing up excitedly back to their trainers.

"Hey we're over here! Did we do things the way you wanted us to?" Leafmon called.

"Yes, you did an excellent job my friend." Ken smiled to his Digimon.

Davis stared at the little blue Digimon that approached him. "Um, you're Veemon, aren't you?"

"Well actually Davis you can just call me Chibomon for now." the blue Digimon said.

"Well whatever your name is, you rock!" Davis gave a thumbs-up.

Chibomon laughed, blushing a little from the compliment. He turned to Leafmon. "We make a great team, huh?" The two baby Digimon rubbed heads, laughing.

"We make a good team too." Davis told Ken, extending a hand towards him. Ken moved to take Davis's hand, but paused and clenched his fist. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't feel like I deserve to be friends with any of you." Ken said. "At all."

"Boy that's a lot of baloney!" Davis smiled. "Look Ken you've earned our friendship."

"I have?" Ken asked.

"Yeah sure!" Davis insisted. "You started out all mean and evil but you decided to change and become one of us. And working hard like that builds the strongest kind of friendship there is. Trust me, I know friendship and after all we've been through we're friends! And I'm absolutely not going to take 'no' for an answer!"

Ken didn't seem so sure, looking away from Davis. "I don't know. I've done a lot of bad things; things I'm not proud of at all."

"Hey, all of us have made mistakes." Davis shrugged. "Look at Yolei. She makes them all the time."

"Hey!" Yolei snapped.

Ken still didn't look sure. "I don't know." He reached down and let Leafmon jump into his arms. "I need some time to think about this." With that he turned and walked off.

"Wait Ken! No don't go!" Davis called.

Leafmon peered over Ken's arm. "Bye…"

Davis stared after Ken. "But we're friends now."

"You always come on so strong, Davis." Kari said. "You can't force him to be your friend if he's not ready. You have to let it happen naturally."

"Yeah but we just fought together." Davis said. "That makes us friends, doesn't it?"

"Fighting's one thing." Yolei shrugged. "But maybe afterwards he realized he wasn't ready to be friends."

"Give him time." Rika assured. "He'll come around."

"How do you know?" Hawkmon asked.

"I've been friends with Ken since I was eight years old." Rika said. "I know him. When he has a problem he likes to take time to sort it out alone."

"Or maybe he's just upset with a certain someone for pointing out how he makes mistakes." Yolei cast a look at Davis.

"Let's not fight." Cody said. "Let's just keep an eye on Ken and see what happens."

"Cody's right." Kari agreed. "There's absolutely nothing any of us can do about it now. So let's go home." She, Yolei, Cody, and their Digimon started walking off.

Davis looked towards Ken's figure disappearing over a sand dune. "Well I hope he decides to become our friend soon."

"I hope he doesn't start thinking it'd be easier to go back to being evil." T.K. said as they all started home.

"I don't think he will." Rika said. "He doesn't have any motivation for it now."

"How are _you _feeling, Rika?" Davis asked. "I mean, you took in a lot of that dark energy."

"I feel fine." Rika replied.

"You shouldn't have taken that risk." Wizardmon scolded.

"Wizardmon, did we or did we not already have a conversation about trust and whatnot?" Rika said.

Wizardmon rubbed his temples with a groan. "The stress you put on me is going to shorten my lifespan to about three years."

Rika rolled her eyes and laughed. T.K. still looked a little worried. "Rika, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes I'm fine." Rika nodded. "I just needed some time to rest."

"How did you do that?" Davis asked. "Absorb that energy within yourself?"

"It's just something I learned while training with Wizardmon in the Digital World." Rika said. She reached into her collar and pulled out her tag and Crest, touching the moon and star symbol carved in the obsidian. "I'm the DigiDestined of Darkness. I guess it's just an ability I have: to absorb darkness within myself and give me power and strength." She looked to T.K. and Davis. "I mean, what about you guys? T.K. you have the Crest of Hope. Davis your Amor Digi-Eggs are for a Fire of Courage and Storm of Friendship. Don't you guys have some sort of special powers?"

Davis and T.K. exchanged looks. Patamon and Chibomon exchanged looks too. "Uh, no not really." Davis said. "I wish we did."

Rika looked back and forth between the two boys. "So…I'm the only one?"

"Rika how did you get your Crest and Digivice anyway?" T.K. asked.

"Wizardmon gave them to me when he found me." Rika said.

"Well then where did he get them?" T.K. asked. They all turned to Wizardmon, who kept his head down to hide his eyes under his hat brim.

"Wizardmon?" Patamon piped up. "Didn't you say some human man gave them to you?"

Wizardmon could feel it already, that sensation he felt whenever Rika used to ask him about this. "Yes."

"So do you know who the man was?" Davis asked. "Come on you have to know _something_."

Wizardmon sighed. "The man is…not someone I can talk about."

"But you know who it is." Davis guessed.

"Well yes but—" Wizardmon struggled to keep his voice from coming out strained. _No please not now._

"Then tell us who it is!" Davis insisted. "Maybe this guy can help us!"

"He _cannot _help us!" Wizardmon shouted, making Davis flinch. "He's an evil, despicable, cruel— " The Majin suddenly gasped, his hand flying to his throat. Though in ghostly form he fell to his knees and continued to gasp as though a snake constricted his neck. T.K., Davis, Patamon, and Chibomon jumped, very surprised by the sudden asthma-like attack.

"Don't ask him about that!" Rika shouted, shoving Davis. She knelt down beside Wizardmon, staring worriedly. "Wizardmon. Stop thinking about it. Just forget about it."

Wizardmon's eyes squeezed shut, and in a few seconds he started breathing normally again. "Please…..don't ever ask me about that again…"

"But the guy that—" Davis stopped talking when Rika shot him a nasty glare.

"Leave it alone." Rika half-snarled. "I don't know how that man found my Crest or why I got it. But it's mine and I'm going to live up to the expectations."

The boys went silent, unsure how to respond to that. They didn't even know if Rika possessing that Crest or those powers was a good thing.

"We better hurry if we want to catch up to the others." Rika said. "Come on."

* * *

"And the way I used that Magical Game attack with my sword?" Rika laughed. "That was so cool!"

"It _was _impressive but you don't need to keep talking about it." Gatomon said.

Rika laughed again. "Sorry Gatomon. I'm just so excited! That was one of the most epic moments of my life! Imagine if you and Kari were fused as one. Can you imagine her using a Lightning Claw?"

Gatomon thought for a moment, imagining such a feat. "Actually that _does _sound interesting."

"Sure it is!" Rika said. "Hey Wizardmon! Can we throw a few more Thunder Balls off the terrace?"

Wizardmon sat in the corner, meditating peacefully, but still replied, "No Rika. When I'm in physical form there's no need to channel my attacks through you. Not to mention the fact that I simply don't want you getting in over your head."

Rika groaned. "Whatever you say Brother Dear."

"How long have you two called each other 'brother' and 'sister'?" Kari asked.

"Since I met him when I was eight." Rika said. "Wizardmon really became a part of the family."

"That must be nice to be able to pass off as a human." Gatomon said. "I have to pretend I'm an ordinary housecat to fool Kari's parents."

"But you're still part of the family." Kari assured, hugging her feline Digimon.

Gatomon purred as she rubbed her head against Kari's chin. "Rika, I want you to know I'm glad you found Wizardmon and accepted him into your family." The feline looked to the still-meditating Wizardmon. "He's my friend and I'm happy that he's happy."

Wizardmon's face showed no emotion, but Rika could feel his gladness towards the comment. "Well, we sort of found each other." She said. "I couldn't ask for a better brother."

The Majin's hands dropped into his lap and he turned his head from the girls. "I only wish to protect you."

"And you do a great job of it." Rika assured.

Wizardmon didn't answer; he stood from his spot and slipped out the door. Gatomon's ears drooped. "Did we say something wrong?"

Kari's eyebrows furrowed in thought and she climbed down from her bed, following Wizardmon's path out the door. She soon discovered the Digimon standing out on the terrace, staring out at the starry skies. The brunette preteen calmly walked out and joined him, leaning on the railing to stare at the stars. The two of them stayed silent for several minutes.

"You know I can see the island where you and Gatomon fought Myotismon from here." Kari said, pointing out the island in the bay. "All I could see was lightning for a while and then complete silence. I was a little kid then, and I was so scared you and Gatomon wouldn't come back." She smiled to Wizardmon. "But you did. You and Gatomon came back and protected me. Like any good friend, you stood by me no matter what…..even after you died." She placed a hand on Wizardmon's shoulder. "I will forever be grateful for having a friend like you."

Wizardmon didn't answer. He turned away from Kari so his back faced her. "Kari I don't deserve to be your friend. I don't deserve to be Rika's partner."

"Why not?" Kari asked innocently.

"Because I put everyone at risk by staying here." Wizardmon said.

"I don't believe that." Kari said, moving towards Wizardmon.

"You don't understand!" Wizardmon moved away from Kari, keeping his back to her. "All I ever do is lie to Rika, lie to everyone around me. I am a threat to yours, Gatomon's, and Rika's safety but all I want is to keep you safe!"

"Wizardmon, what's wrong with you?" Kari demanded. "You've been tense and jittery for days!"

"I can't tell you." Wizardmon said.

"Why not?" Kari asked, a slight harshness in her tone.

"Because it hurts!" Wizardmon whipped around to glare at Kari. "Whether I like it or not I am being controlled and I can't stop it!" His eyes dropped to the ground, his fists clenched. "Whenever I try to tell someone about it…something stops me." One of his hands reached up and started rubbing his throat, almost unconsciously. "It's like there's a snake around my throat, getting tighter and tighter until I can't breathe at all. It feels like I'm drowning but I'm not in water."

Kari's angry frown morphed to a concerned look. She suddenly pulled Wizardmon into a comforting hug, causing him to tense up a bit. But he soon relaxed. "Wizardmon. If it hurts so much then don't tell us anything."

"I just feel guilty." Wizardmon said, blinking back tears. "I once promised Rika there would be no secrets between us."

"It's okay." Kari assured. "You don't have to tell us anything. Some secrets are meant to be kept, especially if telling us hurts you so much. Just promise you'll stick around and not leave us, okay?" She held Wizardmon out at arm's length and her mahogany eyes locked with his dark jade green ones. "Promise me you will stay with our group. You're DigiDestined, just like Gatomon. Promise you will stay."

Wizardmon stared in Kari's eyes for several moments. Those sparkling orbs didn't hold any shred of anger or disappointment; they looked hopeful and kind, just as in Kari's nature.

The Majin smiled. "You have my solemn word."

* * *

The next day, the DigiDestined met at Izzy's home so the redheaded brainiac could explain DNA Digivolving to them. As expected, Davis ran a little late and everyone needed to wait for him. By the time they arrived at Izzy's apartment it was far past the time they agreed to meet. But Izzy seemed understanding on the subject and invited his friends to make themselves comfortable so he could talk to them.

"DNA Digivolving: What is it and How does it Work?" Izzy began. "I'm now creating a computer program that'll explain everything. But until it's done…" He turned to his computer and activated a short video sequence of ExVeemon and Stingmon DNA Digivolving. "Look at this. When two Digimon DNA Digivolve, the most powerful part of one of them merges with the most powerful part of the second, producing a Digimon that's more powerful than either of them alone."

"Is that what you wanted to tell us about DNA Digivolving?" Cody asked.

"Well, actually I wanted to show off my new computer program." Izzy admitted. "But there's also something even more serious I have to relate." T.K. and Kari exchanged looks, both wondering if Izzy meant what they thought he meant.

"Don't leave us hanging, Izzy!" Davis said impatiently. "What is it?"

"I really hoped to find a way to tell using my new computer program." Izzy murmured.

"But we're here now." Cody said, also getting a little impatient. "So please tell us the secret, Izzy."

Izzy nodded. "DNA Digivolving has happened before: Omnimon."

"Omnimon?" Yolei gasped.

"Let me explain _exactly_ how he came into existence." Izzy explained. "Gennai called us back to the Digital World. It was great seeing our friends; we thought we'd never see them again. We just figured that when we destroyed Apocalymon that the warp was repaired and that was the end of it. But Gennai told us that we also had to 'release the powers that protect the Digital World in order to defeat the forces of darkness.'"

_There they go talking about darkness again. _Rika mentally groaned.

_Just ignore them. _Wizardmon soothed.

"He had a habit of telling long stories that I'm not sure even _he _understood." Izzy chuckled. "But we all listened intently to what he had to say. And when _he_ was done, we knew what we had to do."

"'The powers that protect the Digital World'?" Cody repeated.

"That's right!" Kari said. "Izzy told me this story once. He thinks those powers are the same forces that originally picked us to be the DigiDestined."

"To defeat the forces of darkness we had to release the powers of our Crests." Izzy continued. "The eight of us knew this was the only way to save the Digital World from the evil forces that were threatening it. Our eight Crests combined to create a powerful force that spread across the Digital World. Kind of a coating of goodness, like the lamination on a baseball card or the plastic that covers a new box of floppy disks. It brought peace and beauty to the Digital World. The evil shield stopped the forces of darkness from spreading. It was great except there was a side effect none of us were prepared for. Because we had to give up the power of our Crests, our Digimon lost their ability to digivolve to their Ultimate forms. It was a sacrifice that meant, in a way, they had to say goodbye to a special part of themselves. They all took it pretty hard."

"But Wizardmon can digivolve to his Ultimate form no problem." Rika said. "Why is that?"

"You never had to give up the power of your Crest." Izzy explained. "Since Wizardmon is already at the Champion level like Gatomon, he needs the power of your Crest to digivolve to Ultimate. Besides, you also weren't part of the eight DigiDestined before this one. It would've been a little awkward if you had given your Crest type."

"Izzy!" Everyone snapped, making the redhead flinch. Rika glared at the ground without a word.

"We're not sad anymore." Patamon assured. "We know we'll be able to digivolve to Ultimate one day."

"Until then we'll even use balls of yarn to fight if we have to." Gatomon chimed in.

"Yeah, there's nothing that will slow you guys down!" Yolei said. "Right?" Gatomon and Patamon nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us all this before?" Cody asked Kari and T.K.

"It's not like we're trying to keep it a secret." Kari said. "But sometimes it's really hard to admit when you have a weakness."

"In a way, though, it's not really a weakness at all." T.K. said. "A DNA digivolved Digimon kind of fights a lot like an Ultimate Digimon."

"I never thought of that!" Cody smiled.

"You're right, T.K." Izzy confirmed. "DNA Digivolving is very powerful. It's sort of like when MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon digivolved together to become Omnimon."

"Yeah!" Yolei smiled. "I saw that happen on the internet!"

"Excuse me, but I still haven't finished my story here." Izzy piped up. "ExVeemon and Stingmon DNA digivolved into Paildramon because of the threat Okuwamon presented."

"So can they only DNA digivolve when there's a big enough threat?" Yolei guessed.

"There's only one way for us to find out for sure." Davis said. "We've got to go to the Digital World and fight that evil, white-haired lady."

"But she's so powerful." Kari groaned. "I mean, she turned a Control Spire into an Ultimate Digimon."

"I wonder who she is and what she wants." Cody said.

"And how to defeat her." T.K. added.

"Hey what're we all sitting around moping for?" Davis jumped to his feet. "If Gatomon's willing to fight with a ball of yarn then I am too!"

Yolei stood up as well. "Davis is right! It's time to fight!"

"I'm in!" Rika nodded and stood. Everyone else followed suit.

"Excuse me Izzy." Yolei pushed Izzy's swivel chair aside with the redhead still sitting in it.

"Hey!" Izzy complained. "What're you doing?"

"Ready guys?" Yolei called, taking out her D3. "Digi-port open!"

"No!" Izzy panicked. "My mom will be home any minute now!"

The door handle turned and suddenly Izzy's mom stepped in before Izzy could shout for the others to stop. "Who wants snacks?"

That last comment made them all freeze and turn to the woman, who they realized held a tray of food and drinks. "Donuts! All right!" Yolei cheered.

"Thank you Mrs. Izumi." The kids chimed in as they took the refreshments.

"You're very welcome." Mrs. Izumi nodded, watching amusedly as they devoured their food. "Wow what big appetites you all have! You'd think that none of you had ever seen food before. Um, Izzy? What happened to that friend of yours, Tento?"

The DigiDestined paused in their eating, very surprised that Mrs. Izumi seemed to know about Tentomon already. T.K. chuckled a little. "Uh, it's Tento_mon_."

"Tentomon then." Mrs. Izumi looked to her son.

Izzy fumbled over his words, chuckling nervously, as he tried to figure out what to say. Rika shook her head a little, but her thoughts remained elsewhere. Once the kids finished their snacks, she excused herself and journeyed outside. Kari and Gatomon exchanged a look and quickly followed.

"Hey Rika." Kari walked alongside her friend. "You okay?"

Rika sighed. "Kari, why do you guys talk about the 'forces of darkness' like it's a bad thing?"

Kari was about to give a seemingly obvious answer when she noticed Rika's tag and Crest resting on her chest. "Well, I guess we're usually referring to the enemies we faced like Devimon, Myotismon, and the Dark Masters. They tried to take over the Digital World for evil reasons."

"But you defeated all of them." Rika said. "And according to Izzy there was more 'darkness' to be defeated. Ken tried to control the powers of darkness; that Dark Pool seemed to cause so much negativity. Think back to when we were with that weird spire thing in Ken's base. Everyone else was troubled but it gave _me _strength and power. I'm able to absorb dark energy within myself. And check this out." She suddenly pulled Kari into an alleyway and held out her hands, palms up. After a few seconds of concentration, twin black flames appeared in Rika's palms, much to Kari's and Gatomon's shock. Rika extinguished the flames, staring at Kari. "I used to think this was just from me and Wizardmon being merged for so long. But when I think about it, I realize that I had similar powers before our merging." Rika stared at Kari. "What does this mean? The powers of these Crests chose us to be DigiDestined, so why did the Crest of Darkness choose _me _of all people?"

Kari stared at Rika. When the raven-haired girl entered the Digital World she wore that witch's outfit that gave her the potential to _look _evil. Now, the bespectacled preteen looked so scared, her dark lavender eyes staring almost pleadingly.

"I don't know." Kari said. "Our Crests chose us based on a dominant personality trait, like courage, reliability, love, sincerity, friendship, and knowledge. T.K.'s still applies, I guess; his is hope. You and I are a little different, Rika. We're darkness and light. I guess our Crests chose us because there is light within me…..and darkness in you….."

Rika sighed. "Yeah. I guess." She stared at her Crest. "Kari? Am I destined to be evil?"

"I can't answer that." Kari admitted. "It's something you have to figure out for yourself. But I _can _tell you with absolute certainty that you were destined to be our friend." She took Rika's hand. "To be _my _friend."

Rika looked up into Kari's kind-filled eyes and smiled softly. "Thank you Kari."


	14. The Insect Master's Trap

**Episode 28: The Insect Master's Trap**

"Whoever destroys the most Control Spires gets a date with me!" Davis announced. "By the way, Kari's the only one eligible."

"In that case we better stop working." Yolei laughed.

"_V Laser!"_ ExVeemon launched his signature attack and forced a Control Spire to burst into dust. The other Digimon used their own attacks to destroy the Control Spires in the desert area, their human partners cheering them on.

"Our turn Wizardmon!" Rika called.

"Ready when you are!" Wizardmon nodded.

Rika held out her palms and a glowing yellow and orange sphere appeared in each one_. "Thunder Ball!"_ She laughed as she threw the spheres of energy. They collided with a Control Spire and it turned to dust in seconds. Rika jumped and cheered. "Have I mentioned how _awesome _that is?"

"Only a thousand times." Wizardmon said with a smirk.

"Say it as many times as you want. That's so cool!" Yolei said.

They continued to destroy the Control Spires, determined to at least clear the desert before the end of the day. Because most of the DigiDestined still attended school, they only had the afternoon to go to the Digital World and wipe out Control Spires. Luckily, Rika and Wizardmon decided that since Rika didn't go to school anymore she could spend more time in the DigiWorld to get a head start on the Spire Smashing. It gave her plenty of time to practice channeling Wizardmon's attacks, and the Control Spires became perfect targets.

Once they finished for the day and the sun started getting lower and lower in the sky, the DigiDestined journeyed over to a nearby TV and opened the gate back into the school computer lab. They all ended up in a dog pile, as usual, but laughed it off and untangled themselves.

"Here you go." Cody dropped his armful of food on the floor to the Digimon. "Junk food from the vending machines. Candy bars, potato chips, and cheese crackers. Bon appétit!"

The Digimon thanked Cody and hurriedly dug into the food, munching away on the treats. "Hey save some for Wizardmon!" Rika giggled, swiping some of the food for her Digimon.

"He's still fed when he's in spirit form, right?" DemiVeemon grumbled, eyeing the unwrapped onigiri Rika took.

"Yes but that doesn't mean I get to taste it." Wizardmon shrugged.

DemiVeemon continued to grumble something about Rika being a sweets snatcher. Gatomon looked back and forth between Wizardmon and Rika. "Does being connected like this make anything hard? Like eating or drinking?"

"We've been like this for over four years." Rika shrugged. "We're used to it by now."

"Check this out!" Yolei called from the computer.

"What's up?" T.K. asked.

"Another Control Spire just went down in the Digital World." Yolei reported.

"Looks like Ken is working overtime." Davis looked to the Digimon. "Hey, guess who's ready for a second course?"

Upamon bounced over to DemiVeemon. "You never told us what it was like when you DNA digivolved with Wormmon."

"It was weird." DemiVeemon said. "I felt like an action star in one of those big movies!"

"Was it kind of like when you first digivolved from Rookie to Champion Digimon?" Poromon asked.

"No, bigger than that!" DemiVeemon corrected.

"The thing that would freak me out the most though would be to have two minds in one body." Gatomon said.

DemiVeemon thought for a moment. "It's strange. It didn't feel like two minds in the same body. It's more like our minds merged into one super being."

"Sounds weird to me." Patamon said. "You already have enough voices running around in your head."

"Yeah." Gatomon laughed. "If I merged with you I could get lost in there with the others."

"I was wondering how weird the DNA digivolve was for DemiVeemon." Davis said. "It was certainly strange for me."

"Well you two _are _connected." T.K. noted.

"Yeah!" Kari added. "Are you telling me that you and Ken were somehow connected too?"

"That's right! Pretty cool!" Davis put a hand on his chest. "I could even feel Ken's heart beating right along with mine!"

"I noticed something similar." Wizardmon added. "Davis's and Ken's Life Flames and auras became perfectly matched, similarly to how Rika's and mine match up because of our merge."

"It was kind of freaky to be honest!" Davis laughed.

"So you two were actually synchronized then!" Yolei determined.

"You mean like those goofy swimmers in the Olympics?" Davis plugged his nose for emphasis.

"No." Cody corrected. "She means that your hearts were beating at the exact same time, silly."

Davis chuckled nervously. "I knew that, Cody. I was just kidding."

"I'm telling you, just when we think we've got this whole Digivolution thing figured out something new pops up." Kari said. "But this is the craziest thing we've seen yet. Just think. If all the Digimon could digivolve together just imagine all the weird and crazy combinations." She closed her eyes in thought. "Let's see. If ExVeemon and Angemon combined they'd make one tough-winged Digimon, that's for sure." Kari opened her eyes and smiled, her imagination working into overdrive. "Or how about a Gatomon combo? I dare someone to try to put _that _cat out for the night. How about ExVeemon and Aquilamon? Or ExVeemon and Ankylomon."

Cody made a funny noise, as though to show discomfort towards the idea. "What?!" Davis snapped. "Are you implying that your Digimon is too good to DNA digivolve with mine?"

"That's not what I meant, Davis!" Cody snapped back. Despite standing much shorter than Davis the younger boy's voice came out strong. "I just think we need to think this through a little more before we get too far ahead of ourselves! So don't bite off my head! I'm trying to be safe."

"And I see it as a way to defeat that white-haired lady!" Davis snapped.

"I'm not so sure." Cody said. "It might be dangerous."

"You're so stubborn sometimes, Cody!" Davis growled.

"Are you two finished being macho?" Kari teased.

"I'd like to see a Wizardmon/Gatomon combo." T.K. said. "That'd be one killer cat wizard."

Gatomon and Wizardmon thought for a moment before sharing a look and nodding in agreement. "That _would _be interesting." Wizardmon said. "But we have no idea how DNA Digivolving would affect me and Rika given our situation."

"It's like the two of you already DNA Digivolved." T.K. said. "Wonder if that's possible for us and our Digimon."

"A human and Digimon DNA Digivolving?" Rika laughed. "That sounds so silly!"

"But you and Wizardmon did it." Davis protested.

"Izzy says DNA Digivolving is when the most powerful parts of two Digimon combine to make one powerful one." Rika noted. "Wizardmon and I didn't DNA Digivolve; our mental, physical, and spiritual entities combined into one."

Davis groaned. "Keeping track of your guys' situation is so hard. Okay, explain it to me again: what happened that caused you two to merge? Who did it and why?"

"Davis." Yolei hissed, whacking the boy upside the head. "That's not something we discuss. It's not necessarily polite."

"I'm just trying to figure things out." Davis shrugged. "I mean, Rika was the one who got hurt, and Wizardmon used some sort of magic trick to fuse them into one person. So does that mean Rika is really dead and she's just hosting Wizardmon's spirit like some sort of possessed—?"

"_Davis!" _Yolei stomped on the boy's foot, making him jump and down on his unwounded foot while holding the throbbing one.

Rika looked down, swinging her legs forwards and backwards. The other DigiDestined and their Digimon held a mix of reactions, with some glaring at or scolding Davis (who kept holding his hurt foot while hopping) and others staring worriedly at Rika.

That night, while Kari slept peacefully, Gatomon carefully snuck off the bunk bed jumped down to the floor, landing quietly on all fours. She padded over to the closet and slowly slid the door open, peering in at the sleeping Wizardmon on the futon. Biting her lower lip but pressing forward, Gatomon reached up and gently prodded the Digimon's chest. Wizardmon didn't move. Gatomon shook his shoulder, but he just groaned sleepily and rolled over to his stomach. The feline huffed quietly. _You asked for it. _She climbed up onto Wizardmon's back and up to his head. Then she took her claws and pressed them through his hair and into his skull, not enough to draw blood but causing plenty enough pain to wake him.

"Gatomon….." Wizardmon moaned groggily. "Has anyone ever told you that your claws are like knives?"

Gatomon smirked. "Well you didn't wake up the first two tries."

Wizardmon sighed, rolling over and sitting upright. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "What is it, Gatomon?"

"Is Rika awake?" Gatomon asked.

"Nope; she's fast asleep." Wizardmon murmured. "Lucky Duckmon."

"Sorry to wake you." Gatomon said sincerely. "I just wanted to talk to you without Rika hearing. It's about your guys' merging together."

Wizardmon looked a little more awake now, staring at his feline friend. "What about it?"

"Well, I know the two of you exist spiritually." Gatomon said. "Given that one of you can still come as a ghost when the other is solid. But it seems like you two have to share one mind and physical body. Isn't it hard?"

Wizardmon thought for a moment. "I never really thought about it. We've been like this for so long, so it's become almost normal for us."

"Why'd you do it?" Gatomon asked.

"Rika's life was in danger." Wizardmon replied. "She wouldn't have survived if I didn't give my life to her."

"But isn't it a disadvantage?" Gatomon asked. "You can't eat normally, you can't attack or digivolve during the day, and it must get annoying, right?"

"Perhaps." Wizardmon nodded. "But if given the chance wouldn't you do the same for Kari?"

Gatomon looked towards her sleeping human partner and smiled. "Yes. I would." Wizardmon smiled and put a hand between Gatomon's ears, rubbing her head. Gatomon purred softly, but then her face shifted to a small frown. "Wizardmon? Who gave you the Crest of Darkness to give to Rika? Who attacked the two of you?"

Wizardmon tensed up, retracting his hand and sighing. "Gatomon, _please _don't ask me about that."

"But Wizardmon—"

"Please, my friend, don't ask me about it. It's just not something to be discussed."

Gatomon sighed, as though disappointed, and Wizardmon felt guilt gnawing at his stomach. Then the white feline climbed up and wrapped her arms around Wizardmon's neck, rubbing her head into the crook of his shoulder. Wizardmon hesitated before bringing his arms up and holding her close, sighing again. The two of them remained like that for a while in complete silence, taking in one another's comfort.

* * *

"So Rika, what do you think of school?" Kari asked. "You miss it at all?"

Rika stuck her tongue out. "Not even one, itty bitty, teeny tiny bit."

"Told ya she wouldn't like it." Davis said.

"It's just a trial run." T.K. said. "You came with Kari as a guest, not a student."

"Yeah well the trial run ran the way it did and I say I still hate school." Rika said. "My time with Wizardmon in the Digital World was more educational than _anything _you could learn here."

"I guess it would be a little hard to enroll you anyway." T.K. admitted. "The school might want to meet your parents and that's not even possible."

"And my parents can't meet with you because they don't even know you live with us." Kari added.

"It's okay." Rika assured. "If most of Japan thinks I'm dead, let's keep it that way."

"Why?" Davis asked.

"What if they find out I'm alive and put me in an orphanage?" Rika asked. "That's going to make it a little hard for us to go to the Digital World together. Not to mention the freak out fest that will happen when they discover Wizardmon."

"If you say so." T.K. said.

Davis blinked in surprise when his D-terminal beeped. T.K's and Kari's did too and they all opened them up. "You know, I'm thinking I need to get a cell phone or something so we can keep in touch." Rika said. "I don't have a D-terminal."

"We'll put that on the list of things to do later." Kari said.

"Look, it's an email from that spooky woman." Davis said. "'Dear DigiDestined, We need to talk about the debt you owe me for destroying my property. Meet me at the Giga House.'"

"Destroying her property?" Rika scoffed. "We were doing her a favor."

"This is the perfect chance to catch her!" Davis broke into a run, his friends close behind.

"You know it's a trap!" Kari noted. "Why are we going?"

"We're going to have to face her sooner or later, Kari!" T.K. reasoned. "At least this way it won't be a big surprise!"

"Hurry!" Davis urged. "We don't have much time!" They made a sharp left turn into the computer lab and discovered Yolei and Cody already there with their Digimon.

"Digi-port open!" Yolei turned to her friends when the gate opened. "Okay, we're all set. Now we all agree if it's too dangerous we just turn back?"

"Let's go!" Davis said enthusiastically.

"Nothing's too dangerous for us." Rika assured. "If things get hairy we have each other's backs."

"I have a bad feeling about this guys." Yolei groaned, but held her Digivice to the portal. The rest of them followed suit, and soon they became sucked into the computer and whisked away to the Digital World. Upon arriving, Yolei managed to find the Giga House location on her D-terminal and they quickly made their way to it. Once they reached their destination, it soon became clear why it earned the name Giga House: though it looked like a normal suburban household it most likely stood higher than most of the skyscrapers in Tokyo.

"Now that is one big yellow house." Kari said.

"My question: who is the big person that lives in it?" Yolei wondered.

"This is Giga House?" Davis breathed.

"It's huge and spacious!" Veemon breathed.

"It must be two hundred feet tall." Armadillomon guessed. "It's amazing!"

"No kidding." Cody agreed.

"Could you imagine having to mow this lawn?" Kari laughed.

"Or how about washing those windows?" T.K. added. "You'd need a helicopter to get up there."

"I wouldn't want to have to fix that roof." Rika said.

"Why do you think that lady called us here?" Yolei asked. "Is she gonna attack us with a team of basketball players?"

"I don't know, but keep your eyes open." Davis warned. "Let's look for a way in."

"Hey guys!"

They all spun around to see a familiar raven-haired boy and his insect Digimon coming up behind them. "So you guys got the email too." Ken guessed.

"Hey!" Davis called, looking very happy to see Ken.

Veemon hurriedly jogged up to them. "You guys come for the house party?"

"Some house party, Veemon." Ken said wryly. "Too bad the hostess wants to make piñatas out of her guests. This is a setup."

"We figured that too." Kari said. "I guess Ms. Congeniality wants to eliminate all her enemies in one swoop."

"That's why I think it's a bad idea for you guys to go in." Ken said. "You should just go home."

"That's crazy!" Davis protested. "Are you planning on going in there by yourself? That makes no sense! She'll eat you for lunch!"

"Ken has a point." Yolei said. "We have to do something. We can't just sit here. This might be our best chance to stop her."

"Then why are we just standing around?" Rika demanded. "I'm getting antsy."

"I have an idea." T.K. said. "How about a few of us go in to scope things out? This way if it's a trap the rest of us can bust in and help. Davis, since you and Ken are so fired up to go in there why don't you guys go first?"

"Count on me too." Cody said.

"And me." Rika added. "With my and Wizardmon's aura reading capabilities, we'll be able to sense when danger is near, especially if that crazy white-haired lady is in there."

"Great idea!" Davis said. "Glad I thought of it!" Rika and Cody simultaneously groaned audibly.

"We'll be right out here. If things get too crazy just signal us and we'll come to the rescue, okay?" T.K. instructed.

"I still think it's a better idea if I go in there alone, guys." Ken said.

"Not a chance, Ken!" Davis insisted. "We're DNA Digivolve partners! We should really be together on this. Think about it: if things get hectic in there, you really need me."

Rika whacked Davis upside the head. "Not the best choice of reasoning." She smiled to Ken. "We're your friends now Ken. Whether you like it or not, we're going to be there for you."

"Cool your jets guys or you're gonna end up fighting each other in there." Yolei said.

"That's why I'm going along too." Cody said.

"Let's go!" Davis urged. "Come on guys, follow me!" He, Cody, Ken, and Rika took off running for the Giga House, Wormmon, Armadillomon, and Veemon close behind. "Last one in is a rotten Digi-Egg!" Davis laughed.

"I would hate to be a rotten Digi-Egg." Wormmon groaned a little. They continued to run until they finally reached the front step. That's when they realized just how massive the house stood; the front step alone reached several feet above their heads.

"Whoa!" Davis breathed, staring up at the ginormous door.

"How are we supposed to get in there anyway?" Ken asked.

"Maybe we should look under the doormat." Davis joked. "Maybe there's a forty foot key!"

"Think again, Davis. If that's even possible for your tiny brain." Rika sighed in irritation. She scrutinized the entirety of the home from where she stood before she found something. "We'll enter in that way; I can see a faucet which means there's either a kitchen or bathroom sink there. It's safer and we can easily open the window." She took off running, the boys close behind.

"And how exactly are we supposed to get up there?" Cody asked.

"There's a basket of flowers and a small table. The house is made of bricks." Rika reasoned. "We'll climb."

"But we don't have any climbing gear." Davis protested.

"We'll free style it then." Rika said.

"I'm not so sure about this." Davis said. "Let's find another way."

"There is no other way." Rika snapped. "Don't argue with me."

Davis grumbled something under his breath, but the boys stayed close to Rika as they maneuvered through the tall grass and up a shrub to the deck below the window. Rika climbed and ran much faster than the rest of them, so when Davis called for her to slow down she rolled her eyes and waited somewhat impatiently as the boys panted heavily.

"How…..do you…run and climb…so fast?" Ken groaned.

"When you live in the DigiWorld as long as I have, you learn a lot." Rika said. "In many cases, it's survival of the fittest."

Davis groaned as he stared at the height to the window. "Tell me we don't have to climb that."

"Though a talented liar, I do prefer honesty with my friends." Rika said. "Just come on. The grooves in the bricks will give us plenty of footholds. Think of it as rock climbing only without the safety harness and ropes."

Wizardmon groaned. "I don't think that's helpful."

"Come on!" Rika urged, already starting the climb. "You want to beat that white-haired lady or not?"

The boys exchanged looks and groaned, but followed Rika as they scaled the bricks to reach the window. Wizardmon, able to fly but unable to carry anybody, drifted around and helped them find footholds to better climb. It took several minutes of climbing before reaching the window, and the combined effort of all seven of them to push the window open. Once getting inside, they discovered an enormous kitchen, like a typical one found in any normal home, only everything was huge.

"Maybe that strange lady will try to destroy us with a giant, super evil, Digi-pizza!" Davis joked.

"Not now Davis." Rika groaned.

"Let's just hope that woman doesn't use us as the toppings." Veemon said. "I'm very allergic to anchovies."

"It reminds me of this book called _Gulliver's Travels_." Davis said. "It's about this kid who sells an old cow for some magic beans and ends up fighting this giant."

"That's _Jack and the Beanstalk_, silly!" Cody corrected.

"Huh?" Davis laughed nervously again. "I knew that, dude! I was just joking!"

"You guys are classic." Ken smirked as he jumped from the windowsill down to the counter. "You two fight just like an old married couple."

"Could be worse." Rika shrugged. "They could be an _actual _old married couple." She looked to her Digimon. "Hey Wizardmon, what can you tell us about this strange woman's location?"

Wizardmon closed his eyes in concentration. "She's deeper within the house….but there's something else we need to worry about."

"What's that?" Armadillomon asked.

"I'm sensing tens, maybe hundreds of auras around us." Wizardmon said. "We're definitely not alone here." They all jumped at the sound of squeaking and whipped around to look. But the kitchen seemed empty.

"Did you guys hear something?" Davis asked.

"Maybe it was your imagination." Cody suggested hopefully.

"No, I heard it too." Ken confirmed.

The squeaking continued. "We're not alone here." Veemon said.

"Sounds like clicking." Armadillomon said.

"It's coming from that vent over the stove." Wormmon pointed out.

Everyone looked up to said vent, and not two seconds later a small swarm of roach-like Digimon dropped down. Another swarm of them came up from the sink drain. "Ew! Yuck!" Davis grimaced.

"It's an army of Gokimon!" Veemon realized. "There's nothing like an infestation of killer bugs to ruin the charm of a sweet little cottage!"

"Less talking more slicing!" Rika ordered, drawing her sword. She turned as a Gokimon lunged for her and performed a perfect front kick that sent the roach Digimon flying.

"You guys better digivolve!" Cody told Veemon, Armadillomon, and Wormmon.

"Yeah let's do it!" Veemon cheered.

"_Veemon digivolve to…ExVeemon!"_

"_Wormmon digivolve to….Stingmon!"_

"_Armadillomon digivolve to…..Ankylomon!"_

"I hate roaches!" ExVeemon stomped on and punched the Gokimon aside. Stingmon, with Ken and Rika on his shoulders, skillfully kicked other Gokimon to the floor. Ankylomon swung his mace-like tail around like a golf club, knocking aside Gokimon and sending them flying. Davis jumped when a Gokimon tackled him, but planted his foot in the roach's stomach and sent the bug tumbling to the ground. From her perch on Stingmon, Rika sent Wizardmon's attacks at any Gokimon trying to sneak up on them.

"I'm getting worn out here!" ExVeemon panted.

"There's too many of them!" Ankylomon confirmed. "Every time I knock one down two more pop up in its place!"

"We need more fire power!" ExVeemon turned to Davis, then Stingmon on the ground below.

"You heard him Ken!" Davis called. "We need to DNA digivolve or we're gonna be bug food in a matter of minutes!"

"I think he's right about this one, Ken. We're overmatched here!" Stingmon said.

"Ken, are you listening to me?" Davis shouted.

Ken jolted a little, as though roughly brought back from his thoughts. Rika noticed and frowned a little. "Davis, we can't go to extremes just yet! We need to save that kind of firepower for that crazy white-haired lady!"

"I can't do this by myself!" Davis called. "Hear me?"

"No, wait!" Cody ordered. "There's something weird about those bugs. Take a look for yourself. Do you see any Dark Spirals or Black Gears on _any _of them?"

"Aren't they made from Control Spires?" Davis asked.

"They're real, live Digimon." Wizardmon said. "Life Flames and everything."

"Maybe she created them from scratch." Ken suggested.

"Huh? She cooks too?" Davis blinked. "Go figure."

"It's time we realized we're outnumbered." Cody said.

"Got to go, boys!" Ankylomon swiped a Gokimon aside and turned to run.

ExVeemon picked up Cody and Davis. "Let's get out of here and pronto!" Davis urged. ExVeemon jumped down to the floor, crushing a few Gokimon in the process.

"Follow me!" ExVeemon urged.

"I'm right behind you!" Stingmon assured as he flew after the blue dragon.

"We gotta call the others!" Rika called.

"No time!" Davis said. "Let's just get out of here!"

ExVeemon noticed the Gokimon still coming and spotted a spray hose, instantly giving him an idea. "You boys stink! How about a little shower?" He sprayed water towards the Gokimon, washing them away and down the drain. "Don't forget to wash behind your ears!"

"Those guys give me the willies." Ankylomon shuddered a little.

"Nice work, ExVeemon!" Davis complimented. "That'll show those creeps!"

"Something tells me we're not out of hot water yet, guys." Stingmon warned as a new sound reached their ears. Across the room stood a washing machine, and soon several new bug Digimon dropped down onto it and looking ready for battle.

"This place has more bugs in it than a second-hand computer!" Davis groaned.

"Those are Kunemon." Armadillomon said. "They're small but pack quite a wallop with their Electric Thread attack."

Stingmon flew up and lunged for them. "You creeps give bugs a bad name!"

"Stingmon watch out!" Rika warned, but too late. The Kunemon launched their Electric Thread attack right for them and electrocuted Stingmon, forcing him to touch down on the washer. More Kunemon came from behind and zapped Rika and Ken, causing them to fall off. Rika nearly rolled right off the washer had she not grabbed the edge while Ken and Stingmon fell into the waters of the dishwasher. Rika didn't dare look down, but she did look over to her right to see the shapes of a great red bird and two other smaller flying creatures coming. _It's the others! And it looks like they're in trouble! _She looked up just in time to see Cody and Submarimon drill into the side of the washer. _Those guys can take care of themselves. _She pulled out her sword and used the blunt side of the blade to knock aside some Kunemon coming at her. Then she sheathed her sword and checked again to see how close her friends flew.

"Hey Yolei!" Rika shouted. "Catch me!" She lifted her legs and pushed her feet to the washer so she rested in a crouching position before pushing off the washer. She flew high into the air, flipping and turning a few times, and Aquilamon shot up to allow her to land on his back behind Yolei.

"Nice of you to drop in!" Yolei greeted.

"Nice of you to bring some friends!" Rika said, staring at the Flymon chasing them. She jumped as Aquilamon flapped his wings to deflect the bug Digimon's stingers.

"There's too many of those things!" T.K. called. "We have to find the others!"

"But where are they?" Kari asked.

"They were just there in the kitchen but it looks like they disappeared!" Rika called back. "And the Flymon are still coming!"

"I think we should split up and search for them!" Yolei suggested.

"Good idea!" Kari agreed.

"We'll see you in a few!" Yolei called. She, Aquilamon, and Rika took a right while T.K., Kari, Pegasusmon, and Nefertimon took a left. The Flymon swarm that flew after them split into two groups to follow each set of DigiDestined. "Hey uglies!" Yolei taunted. "This way!" The Flymon buzzed angrily as they followed. "Uh oh! I think I made them really mad now!"

"Leave it to me!" Rika assured. "Wizardmon, Magical Game!"

"Right!" Wizardmon nodded. Rika carefully stood up on Aquilamon's back and pointed her sword towards the Flymon. Blue lightning shot from the blade, scattering the Flymon and paralyzing a couple of them.

"Nice shot!" Yolei complimented.

"Thanks!" Rika smiled. She yelped and sat back down when another stinger from Flymon shot past her head. "Aquilamon, fly faster!"

"I'm flying as fast as I can!" Aquilamon said. He noticed a flurry of stingers coming again and deflected them.

"We better find the others soon!" Yolei gulped. "Their aim is getting better!"

"Wizardmon, can you pick up anyone's auras?" Rika asked.

"I can't!" Wizardmon said. "There are so many bug Digimon in this house it's hard to pinpoint any specific aura."

"Oh great." Rika groaned. Aquilamon shot upwards, the Flymon close behind. But when the bird reached the vent in the ceiling he made a hairpin turn the Flymon couldn't do, causing the bugs to crash.

"Go Aquilamon!" Yolei cheered.

"Hey, did you hear music?" Rika asked.

"I thought I heard a flute." Yolei confirmed.

"That's weird." Rika murmured. "What the heck is going on here?"

"I don't know but if we don't figure it out soon we're really in trouble!" Yolei said.

Rika growled and stood up again, readying her sword. Wizardmon prepared more attacks for her to use. _You realize how much trouble we're in right now?_

_Yeah, I know. _Rika assured.

_What're we going to do? _Wizardmon half-demanded.

Rika continued to glare at the Flymon. _I don't know._

* * *

**A/N: Rika laughing at the idea of a human and Digimon DNA Digivolving is totally a reference to the third season, Digimon Tamers. However, if I haven't mentioned this before I will now, my OC Rika isn't related to the Rika in Tamers. You'll see why in later chapters.**


	15. Arukenimon's Tangled Web

**Episode 29: Arukenimon's Tangled Web**

"Watch out!" Yolei yelped. She gripped Aquilamon's feathers tightly as he took a nose dive to avoid more Flymon. Rika yelped too and wrapped her arms around Yolei's stomach, almost squeezing the life out of her.

"I am _really _tired of those bugs!" Rika growled. "Wizardmon, get me a Magical Game attack."

"You're getting tired." Wizardmon protested, his ghostly form flying beside the girls. "I can feel it; your energy is getting low."

"Is not." Rika protested.

"Why must you always argue with me?" Wizardmon snapped.

"Rika, you're panting right in my ear and it's covered by my hat." Yolei said. "Wizardmon's right, you need to take a break."

Rika groaned. "Then what do we do about these Flymon? And how do we find the others?"

Yolei's D-terminal suddenly beeped and she hurriedly answered it. "Uh oh. Cody, Ken, and Davis are in trouble. Something about them stuck in a spider web."

"I'd like to hope that's not a literal web, but who knows in a house like this?" Rika groaned.

"I wanna help but I'm sort of busy right now!" Yolei groaned worriedly.

"Flymon on both sides!" Wizardmon warned.

"Oh not again!" Rika growled in frustration.

"Hang on!" Aquilamon warned. "It's time we rise to the occasion!" He flapped his powerful wings and they shot up into the air, causing the Flymon to clash into one another.

"Good work!" Yolei complimented. But Aquilamon soon became forced into flying away again as even more Flymon came after them. Yolei typed away on her D-terminal. "Sorry…..my hands are full….."

"We have to find the others!" Wizardmon urged.

"I know, but I'm not getting their signals on my D3!" Yolei said. "Are you sure you can't track their auras or something?"

"If Rika could meditate, I could fly around the house and look for them." Wizardmon said. "But that runs too much of a risk of her falling off Aquilamon."

Rika looked back towards the Flymon and she narrowed her eyes. "Aquilamon! Fly up and back flip!"

"What?" Aquilamon asked in surprise.

"Just do it!" Rika ordered.

Aquilamon seemed unsure, but did what she asked and flew straight up into the air. Yolei's grip tightened as he went upside down, but Rika slipped off and dived down towards the Flymon that now flew right below them. Flawless timing; Rika landed right onto the back of one of the Flymon and grabbed the bug Digimon's antennae. She yanked them towards her, forcing the Flymon to fly up. Using the bug's antennae like reins, Rika steered the wasp-like Digimon towards his kin and caused them to scatter.

"She's crazy." Yolei breathed.

"Now you know how I feel." Wizardmon sighed. He shot over and disappeared into his human partner. _Rika. I think I can give you one more Thunder Ball if you can handle it._

"Thanks Wizardmon." Rika nodded. She yelped as the Flymon bucked a bit, trying to force her off. But she held tight and jerked the bug in several different directions. It took a lot of forceful tugging for her to steer the Flymon towards a large swarm heading for Yolei and Aquilamon. "Okay! Now, Wizardmon! _Thunder Ball!_" She threw the blast at the swarm and the Flymon scattered and hit the ground. Rika slammed her fist into the skull of the Flymon she rode and then leaped off it as it fell. The preteen spread her arms and performed a perfect backflip that would've made any gymnast jealous. Aquilamon quickly flew up and the raven-haired girl landed right behind Yolei.

"That was so cool!" Yolei complimented.

Rika took a breath. "Thanks. But I think the fatigue is starting to set in. I don't think I'll be able to throw any more of Wizardmon's attacks."

"That's because you always push yourself too far." Wizardmon said as he appeared. "And I still sense more Flymon coming at us." As if on cue, several Flymon shot around the corner and forced Aquilamon to make a hairpin turn and go the other way.

"We have to find the others and get out of here." Aquilamon said. "We can't keep this up; sooner or later I'll run out of energy and dedigivolve."

"Try and call them." Rika suggested.

Yolei nodded and pulled out her D-terminal. But before she could even start her message, a new one came in for her to read. "Hey, it's from Davis." She stared at her D-terminal in surprise. "They want me to _what_?"

"What is it?" Rika asked.

"Well, it's true. That's my specialty." Yolei said to herself, not seeming to hear Rika. "But how am I supposed to figure it out without a computer?"

"You can do it, Yolei!" Aquilamon encouraged.

"Figure what out?" Rika asked, louder this time.

"I'll explain in a minute!" Yolei answered, calling Kari through her D-terminal. "Hey Kari! Strange question: what are the odds there's a computer within a ten mile radius of here?"

"_There's a computer right here in the office." _Kari answered.

"Do I hear Snimon in the background?" Rika asked.

"_Seriously, how do you know that?" _Kari asked incredulously.

"Hello? Four-plus years in the Digital World!" Rika rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to reiterate that?"

"Okay." Yolei took out her D3. "I'm beginning to get a signal. They're real close. There they are! Make your first left!"

"Right!" Aquilamon nodded.

"No, left!" Yolei corrected.

Aquilamon rolled his eyes a little. "Roger! Hang on!" He noticed two holes in the wall, leading straight to Kari, T.K., Pegasusmon, and Nefertimon, and the large bird dived down towards them. "Don't go in through the 'out' door!" He laughed as the Flymon hurried to fly after him. But the bugs clearly did not understand how to take turns, as they soon became very much stuck in the holes.

"There are the Snimon!" Rika pointed. "T.K. and Kari must be there!" Suddenly, the books the Snimon slashed at moved and forced the praying mantis Digimon to the floor, revealing the DigiDestined of Light and Hope on the bookshelf.

"Over to the computer!" Wizardmon urged. "Quickly!"

"You can do it, Yolei!" Aquilamon encouraged, flying right over the keyboard. "One, two, three!"

On "three," Yolei jumped off her Digimon and landed perfectly on the power button, turning the computer on. "Perfecto!" Yolei cheered for herself.

"Way to go Yolei!" Rika cheered as she leaped down.

"Okay guys, we got work to do!" Yolei called. "Aquilamon, dedigivolve to Hawkmon and I'll have you Armor Digivolve to Shurimon. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon, take those books and create a barrier in case those Snimon and Flymon come back. The rest of you with me! We have to get the music software up on this computer." Everyone nodded and quickly ran to obey Yolei's orders.

"So what's the plan again?" Rika asked.

"Davis emailed me and said that strange woman is playing a flute that's controlling the bug Digimon, including Stingmon and Digmon." Yolei explained. "He wants me to find a way to make a mix for the music to alter the sound and return all the bug Digimon to normal."

"You can do that?" T.K. asked.

"I do this stuff all the time. I'm a professional." Yolei confirmed.

"Is that true?" Kari asked.

"Sure." Yolei nodded. "My older sister's in the drama club at school and I'm the one that does the sound for all of the shows. But that's not all; I've also helped Izzy do the mixing for Matt's band, the Teenage Wolves. We were the best, because they sounded totally cool after we got through with them."

"Oh wow!" T.K. smiled. "I wondered why Matt's band sounded so good lately. Matt said it was because he was such a great musician! Wait until I tell him I know his secret weapon is Yolei!"

"Guys, the Snimon are back!" Rika warned.

They didn't need to worry; Shurimon made quick work of the large green bugs and kept everyone safe. "Listen up! We don't have any time to waste on idle chit-chat."

"We have to hurry!" Pegasusmon and Nefertimon agreed.

"Oh yeah." Yolei chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry!" The music software finally popped up, and Yolei turned to T.K. "First, I need for you to hook up the microphone cable to the computer. Shurimon, I'm counting on you to protect T.K.'s back."

"I'll protect the rest of him as well." Shurimon nodded. "Come on, T.K., let's go!"

"Right!" T.K. nodded as he and Shurimon hurried off.

"The mouse is too big for me to push alone." Yolei told Kari. "Do you think you could help me, Kari?"

"Sure!" Kari nodded.

"What do I do?" Rika asked.

"Your job is one of the most important jobs." Yolei said. "Stand by the speakers and listen for the music when T.K. starts recording it. Then see if you can match those notes on your violin and we'll use the sound for the mix."

"Got it." Rika ran off, unhooking her violin case from her back.

Yolei and Kari ran to the mouse. "On my count, let's push." Together, they pushed and clicked the mouse to everything Yolei needed, the purple-haired teen's brain in overdrive as she worked. "Hey T.K.! All plugged in?"

"All plugged!" T.K. called from behind the computer.

"Rika, you ready to listen?" Yolei asked.

"My ears are open and my violin ready!" Rika confirmed.

"Hold up!" Yolei stopped pushing the mouse. "Now all we have to do is record that sound." She clicked the mouse on the record button.

Rika wrinkled her nose. "Aw man. This is _not _going to sound nice on a violin."

"It doesn't have to." Yolei assured, taking a cord and climbing to the top of the computer. She wrapped the cord around her waist and carefully climbed down like a rock climber, her feet pressed against the computer screen to walk on it. "Stop recording, Kari! We'll take this section to here! You got all that?"

"I got it!" Kari nodded. She gathered her strength and pushed the mouse across its pad, taking out the section Yolei requested.

Yolei nodded in approval and leaped down, running to Kari. "We'll delete the section that we don't need and we'll save the part that's left as a sound file. We'll copy and paste the original onto multiple tracks and use special affects to distort the sound bites and couple it with Rika's violin. All you do is press play."

Kari stared, blinking in confusion. "Um, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sorry about that." Yolei giggled. "Hey! It'll work! Just trust me! Rika! Start practicing and we'll record your violin!"

"Okay, but this is really a flute or wind instrument only song!" Rika warned, playing a couple notes on her violin. Yolei and Kari continued to work on distorting the sound from the original track. Meanwhile, the Snimon started coming to their senses and the Flymon managed to get themselves unstuck and come in one at a time through the holes in the wall. Rika finally got the notes right and Yolei recorded her playing. A few more clicks, drags, and drops and everything was ready.

"Play that funky music! Now girl!" Yolei ordered.

"Name that tune!" Kari pressed the 'play' button, and a strange mix of sounds came from the computer speakers. It sounded like a mix of bat screeches, violins, high whistles, winds, and the original song the strange woman played on her flute. They all turned to the Flymon and Snimon, preparing for a fight and anxiously waiting to see the counter song's affect. Then, the Flymon and Snimon paused, shaking their heads as though just waking up. They exchanged looks, muttering words of confusion, before turning and leaving the room.

"I'm so cool!" Yolei cheered for herself.

"And this is why I carry this thing around." Rika smiled as she stowed her violin away and slung the case over her shoulder.

"So you can create counter songs for a strange woman's bug enchanting flute?" Wizardmon guessed half-sarcastically.

"With how our lives are now, that actually sounds pretty normal." Rika shrugged.

"Nice job everyone!" T.K. congratulated. "Let's find the others!"

"Now that the bug Digimon are gone maybe Wizardmon can track their auras." Shurimon suggested.

"Considering that's the only thing I'm good for nowadays." Wizardmon groaned.

"Remind me to rant and rave about your usefulness later." Rika urged. "We have to find those guys quickly."

Wizardmon sighed. "All right, give me a second." He closed his eyes in concentration. "Good news: they're not too far from us. Bad news: that strange woman is with them." His eyes suddenly shot open, his irises constricting.

"What is it?" Nefertimon asked.

"The woman's aura…it's getting stronger….." Wizardmon gasped. "She's not even human; she's a Digimon, and a powerful one at that."

"Not good." Rika groaned. "Let's go!"

The kids mounted their respective Digimon, Rika jumping onto Nefertimon with Kari. They shot out of the study and down the hall, following Wizardmon's directions. Suddenly, ExVeemon, Stingmon, and Digmon burst through a door and hit the ground several feet ahead of them. Another Digimon came out after them, with the body and legs of a spider, the upper half of a human (only with more demonic arms), and horns sprouting from her white hair. Her coloring matched the clothes the strange white-haired woman wore. They knew at once it had to be the strange woman from before, and Wizardmon was right: she was a Digimon.

"Just what we need." Kari groaned. "A new enemy."

"Let's squash this one like a bug!" T.K. suggested.

"_Cat's Eye Beam!" _Nefertimon threw the first blow, but narrowly missed the spider Digimon.

"_Aqueous Beam!"_ Pegasusmon went next, but he too missed. The spider Digimon scaled the wall and leaped towards the two attackers, but Shurimon moved in and threw the large shuriken on his back. However, the spider Digimon leaped off the shuriken and stuck to the ceiling, ready to fight. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon dropped off their passengers on the ground before moving in to fight again.

"What is that thing?" T.K. asked.

"That's the white-haired lady!" Cody replied as the DigiDestined gathered. "But she's really a Digimon named Arukenimon!"

Everyone suddenly looked to Rika, who blinked in surprise. "What're you looking at _me _for?"

"You seem to know the most about different Digimon." Ken replied. "What can you tell us about her?"

Rika stared at Arukenimon. "I'm sorry guys but I can't help you now."

"What?" Cody gasped. "But I thought you knew everything about any Digimon!"

"I've traveled all over the Digital World and met every kind of Digimon that exists." Rika said. "But I've never met an Arukenimon before!"

"_Acid Mist!"_ Arukenimon spewed green smoke from her mouth, hitting Pegasusmon and Nefertimon and forcing them to slow down as they flew. _"Spider Thread!" _Arukenimon threw multiple whip-like projectiles from the gems on her hands, smacking the two flying Digimon to the ground.

"Time to exterminate!" Davis called. "Ready, Ken?"

"Let's do it!" Ken confirmed.

"_ExVeemon…Stingmon…DNA Digivolve to….Paildramon!"_

"You're wasting your time, boys." Arukenimon taunted. "You're just crawling deeper into my web!"

Paildramon shot up towards Arukenimon, but she met him halfway and kicked him aside, right through a rice paper door and to the ground. Arukenimon jumped through the hole to continue the fight, the DigiDestined close behind to watch the battle. Paildramon leaped up with a Sting Strike that sent the spider Digimon flying into a waste basket.

"You put her right where she belongs!" Davis cheered.

"Way to go!" Ken chimed in.

Arukenimon soon leaped out of the trash and continued her fight with Paildramon. Attacks flew back and forth, but it soon became clear that Paildramon had the upper hand. Arukenimon stayed relentless, keeping the fight going against the Digimon hybrid.

"Let's take her down now." Digmon suggested.

"We're ready." Nefertimon nodded.

"Let's trap her in the dining room." Yolei suggested. "We need everybody's help. Davis, Ken! Listen up! All right, here's the deal. We're going on ahead. I want you to try and lead Arukenimon into the dining room, okay?"

"We'll make her go." Ken agreed.

"We got it covered." Davis nodded.

Paildramon lifted Arukenimon high into the air and threw her down onto a table, where she landed face-first. "Give up?" He asked as he landed.

"Never!" Arukenimon growled. She lunged for Paildramon but he flew out of harm's way, much to Arukenimon's anger.

"Hey! Get over here!" Davis called. "We got a change of plans!"

"Follow us Paildramon!" Ken echoed.

"I'm with you!" Paildramon nodded, flying after the two trainers.

In the dining room, Cody peered around the corner and gasped in surprise when he saw Paildramon running at breakneck speed right for him. Arukenimon scurried close behind. "Here they come!" Cody warned as he jumped away to safety. Paildramon rounded the corner. Arukenimon followed but skidded to a halt and gasped in surprise.

"Surprised ya!" Yolei laughed. "How about a little salt bath?" She and Shurimon shook their salt shakers, dousing their enemy in the powdery condiment.

"Every spider's favorite!" Shurimon laughed.

Arukenimon fell off the wall she scaled and tried to scurry away, only to run into Digmon on a can of bug spray. "Some o-de-la bug spray, Madame?" Digmon laughed as he sprayed the spider Digimon. Arukenimon cried out in pain and ran off, wobbling a little as she did.

"How's her hair?" T.K. asked Kari.

"It needs some work." Kari replied. They spurred their Digimon forward, each child holding the snipped end of an electrical cord, and pushed the wires onto Arukenimon. Had they been to scale, the small wires wouldn't have caused the major electrocution dealt onto the spider. She stumbled backwards, her body jolting into spasms a couple times.

"Rika! Wizardmon! Do it!" T.K. called.

Rika ran forward and leaped high into the air, readying her sword. _"Magical Game!"_ She thrust the blade forward and sent a blue lightning bolt that sent Arukenimon tumbling.

"Now it's your turn!" Davis called to his and Ken's Digimon.

"Get her Paildramon!" Ken ordered.

Paildramon shot down towards the spider woman. _"Desperado Blaster!"_ In a barrage of attacks, Arukenimon groaned in pain and finally fell to the ground, too weak to move. The DigiDestined gathered together, congratulating one another on the success.

"We want an explanation!" Davis shouted at Arukenimon.

"Yeah, what did the DigiDestined ever do to you?" Yolei demanded.

"Yeah!" T.K. chimed in. "And why do you want to destroy the Digital World?"

"Tell us now!" Ken ordered.

Arukenimon smirked evilly. "Oh give me a break. That's a ridiculous question."

"Why's that?" Paildramon demanded.

"Why do I want to destroy it?" Arukenimon laughed. "It's what I live for you miserable excuse for a Digimon."

"How come you've changed several Control Spires into Digimon?" Kari demanded.

"Please, that's another preposterous question." Arukenimon scoffed. "You don't even have any idea what the Control Spires are for so it would be a big waste of time to try to explain it to you."

"She's not talking." Nefertimon sighed. "Any ideas? Doesn't look like she wants to apologize."

"You're right." Paildramon said. "If she gets away she'll just continue to destroy the Digital World."

"What should we do with her?" Cody asked.

"We'll make her talk." Rika said in a dark tone, readying her sword.

"Rika, that's not going to help us." Ken protested. "Let me take care of her. It's the very least I could do for you guys after all the damage that I've done."

"There's no 'I' in 'team'." T.K. argued. "We should find a place where we can put her that's secure and then make sure she's locked up tight so she can't escape."

"You fools!" Arukenimon snapped. "There isn't any place around that's strong enough to hold me!" She stood up fully, raising her arms to attack. "See?"

"Out of the way!" Paildramon warned.

"_Spider Thread!"_ Arukenimon threw those same red ropes, but suddenly Rika appeared and slashed through them before they could touch Paildramon.

"Is that all you can do?" Paildramon taunted.

Arukenimon stared in shock, but then the shock turned to anger and she prepared to fight. Paildramon stood ready. "Two words: anger management."

"Arukenimon!" Rika's voice came out stronger and darker. "You better start thinking about how valuable you are to us. Because if you don't start talking, you're next to useless." She twirled her blade, preparing to fight. "Which also means you're expendable."

The DigiDestined gave a collective, soft gasp in shock. "Rika, hollow threats are not going to help us here!" Ken snapped, but his voice came out a little weaker from the shock.

"I don't give hollow threats." Rika said, seriousness deep in her tone.

Ken stared in shock. _I was right. She _has _changed. I know she has the Crest of Darkness but I never imagined she'd go so far as to mercilessly kill._

"She wouldn't really kill a Digimon like that, would she?" Yolei whispered.

Arukenimon seemed unfazed, readying for another round of fighting. "If you're still looking for a fight then bring it on!" Paildramon challenged.

"Then what? You'll take on _two _Ultimates?"

Everyone turned to a nearby chair, where a tall man with a cane, gray gloves, long blue trench coat and blue hat stood and stared down at them. Even with his collar up over his mouth, they could tell he smirked evilly.

"Who are you?" Paildramon asked.

"Just think of me as a well-wrapped present!" the man snickered. Before their very eyes he morphed and changed until he stood in the form of a mummified human Digimon with a gun on his hip and a twisted grin that seemed to be missing a few teeth.

"Another Digimon?" Ken gasped.

"I thought we could spend some quality time together, my dear." The new Digimon told Arukenimon.

"Yes, Mummymon!" Arukenimon seemed relieved.

"Mummymon?" Davis asked incredulously.

"Yes, and I'll let you in on a little secret I've had under wraps." Mummymon snickered. "My Snake Bandage attack is ghostly!" He snickered again and readied his gun, aiming right for Paildramon. He fired, and a bright white laser shot right for the hybrid, knocking him backwards and into a wall. Shurimon, Digmon, Pegasusmon, and Nefertimon lunged for Mummymon, but he soon revealed the true power of his Snake Bandage attack when he threw several lengths of bandages and they wrapped around the Digimon like anacondas, encasing most of their bodies in linen cocoons. Mummymon leaped down to Arukenimon. "They're all tied up. Time to make out getaway. We don't want to disturb them."

"You're not going anywhere!" Rika shouted, jumping in their path when they turned to run. "I want answers and you're going to give them to me!"

Arukenimon smirked with an evil chuckle. "You've got some spunk, kid. I knew we should've used you instead of that pathetic Ken. You would've made a lovely Digimon Empress given your Crest."

Rika narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't listen to them Rika." Wizardmon warned. "She's just trying to get under your skin."

"Oh, Wizardmon." Arukenimon pouted teasingly. "Still stuck in the human's body?"

"What do you know about me?" Rika demanded.

Arukenimon and Mummymon laughed. "Tell me, Wizardmon." Mummymon said. "How does it feel knowing you're so useless to your own partner?"

Wizardmon growled a little, clenching his fists. Rika lunged, slashing her sword, but Mummymon and Arukenimon leaped up high and landed on the table, scurrying away and out the door. Rika glared after them, sheathing her sword. The Digimon dedigivolved, very much worn out.

"The good news is we're all right." Davis sighed. "The bad news is Arukenimon has friends."

"I'm wondering what they really want." Yolei said. "They must have some reason for being so nasty and mean."

"I think they feel destroying everything is simply fun." Cody guessed.

"Just the thought of it makes me sick!" Yolei shuddered.

_Digimon like that must be really mixed up. _Cody thought. _But they can be healed, just like people. _He blinked, as though to remember something, and approached Ken. "Thanks. You helped me. You saved my life. And even though you were the mean Digimon Emperor, I still owe you one."

Ken smiled. "What're you talking about? Why you don't owe me anything at all, Cody. You're air conditioner idea was genius."

"Nope. I'm sorry; I still owe you, Ken." Cody insisted. "And I always repay my debts, okay?"

Ken chuckled a little. "Whatever you want."

"Come on, Cody." Yolei complained. "Don't be like that. Besides, if anyone owes anything Davis owes me."

"Put it on my tab." Davis rolled his eyes. "But I don't think that Cody saved Ken just to repay a debt. It must've been something more deep and important that we'll never know about. What do you think, Chibomon?"

"You might be right." Chibomon agreed. "But personally I think that Cody's embarrassed."

"Knowing him, you're probably right." Yolei nodded.

"I can still hear you!" Cody snapped, making everyone laugh.

Kari noticed Rika still standing off to one side, an enraged look on her face. The brunette approached her raven-haired friend worriedly. "Rika? You okay?"

Rika glared at the ground. "They knew me." Everyone stared worriedly at her. "They knew my Crest and already knew about the fusion of me and Wizardmon before we could reveal it. I have a theory on how they know. It's crazy, and maybe I'm only basing this on how angry I feel right now, but here it goes." She turned to the other DigiDestined. "I think Arukenimon and Mummymon killed my family."

Needless to say, everyone looked pretty surprised over the accusation. "How can you be sure?" T.K. asked.

"They both know a lot about the situation I'm in." Rika reasoned. "Arukenimon even said so herself that I could've been the Digimon Emperor instead of Ken. I'm telling you guys, they know more than we assume." She looked in the direction the two evil Digimon left, fires blazing in her eyes. "No matter what it takes, I'm going to get answers."

* * *

Kari sighed as she walked to her room from the shower. "Yeesh. All that fighting in the Digital World and all it took for me to feel refreshed was a nice hot shower. At least this isn't like the first time I went to the DigiWorld; I was lucky to even have a bed to sleep in." The brunette opened her door to find Gatomon and Rika up on her bed and Wizardmon nowhere in sight. "Hey, where's Wizardmon?"

"Asleep already." Rika jerked her head towards the closet door. "He's having nightmares again."

"Really?" Kari asked. "How can you know?"

"Our minds are connected." Rika explained. "Oftentimes, one of us will have dreams and the other won't. When that happens, the one not dreaming can sense the other's dream or even witness it. In this case, since I'm awake, I can't see Wizardmon's dream but I can feel it. It's a really weird sensation." She looked down. "I try to stay awake when he's having nightmares. I can watch them but I can't do anything in the dream. And they're so terrible even _I _don't want to talk about them."

A soft _thump_ made them jump a little, and Kari slowly approached the closet door. She slid the door open to find Wizardmon writhing as though in pain, clutching his head and muttering incoherently. Gatomon, at the sight of her friend in so much agony, immediately leaped down and bounded over to him.

"Wizardmon!" Gatomon shook Wizardmon's shoulder. "Wizardmon, wake up! Wake up!"

Wizardmon suddenly bolted upright, breathing heavily. His eyes were wild and his hair messier than usual. He noticed the girls staring at him and cleared his throat, albeit nervously. "I'm….sorry, if I disturbed you."

"Wizardmon, are you okay?" Kari asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Wizardmon lied. "I'm just tired." He hurriedly pulled the closet door closed, almost catching Gatomon's whiskers.

The white feline stared at the door for a moment, her ears drooping. "I wish he wouldn't do that."

"He gets that way." Rika sighed. "Always so secretive. I once asked him to promise me there would be no secrets between us, and he agreed. Only now I realize it's an effort in futility." She stared at the door to the closet. "He has his own darkness within him, and in the past week or so it's gotten stronger."

Kari and Gatomon stared at the door for a moment before joining the ghostly Rika on the bed. "Rika? Is there something wrong with Wizardmon?" Kari asked. "Even I've noticed his nightmares getting worse."

"Me too." Gatomon rubbed her arm. "Just by watching him squirm like that I can tell it's as bad as my nightmares about Myotismon. But why? Why are they getting worse?"

"It certainly is a mystery." Rika said. "It seems like every day, the darkness in him grows. But somehow, it's not affecting me."

"Why's that?" Kari asked.

Rika's face gave a clear answer: she didn't have a clue. She glanced at the closet door and then returned her look to Kari and Gatomon. "Can I tell you guys something?"

"What is it?" Kari asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about my merging with Wizardmon." She glanced down at her translucent hands. "It's been so long since I thought about it, but I do wonder about the long-term effects of our connection."

"Like side effects?" Gatomon guessed.

"More than that." Rika corrected. "We've been like this for so long….."

"Do you know _exactly_ howlong?" Gatomon asked.

"Close to four or five years." Rika shrugged. "I can't be exact because it's really just been quite a while since we merged together. After all, I was just a little girl when it happened, and it's been an eventful couple years or so. I can't help but think about what Davis said the other day and I'm afraid he'd going to become half-right. Wizardmon gave his life to me so I could survive that attack. What if he ceases to exist and my spirit takes full control? Or what if _I _cease to exist and he takes the physical form?" She sighed heavily. "And the weirdest part? Ever since we met you guys and joined your group, it's been getting worse and worse. It's starting to take a little longer for us to switch when the sun sets and rises. I certainly don't blame you, Heaven forbid. I'm not afraid to die or cease to exist; I'm afraid that my best friend, my _brother_, is going to get hurt again."

The three of them fell silent, pondering and maybe even mourning a little over Wizardmon's predicament. He would gladly give himself up if it meant Rika could live. But if Fate decided _he _would live and Rika would die, it would break his heart.

Gatomon put on a determined frown. "Wizardmon did more for me than anyone could imagine. He's my friend; the one who saved me from Myotismon's torture. Nothing's going to happen because if anyone hurts him the claws are coming out."

Kari rubbed her Digimon's head affectionately. "That's my girl."

Rika smiled warmly. _Thank you Gatomon. For being Wizardmon's friend._


	16. Ultimate Anti-Hero

**Episode 30: Ultimate Anti-Hero**

The next day: Sunday. No school for the DigiDestined, so they thought they'd get an early start on destroying Control Spires in the DigiWorld. At least, that was T.K.'s idea; everyone agreed with it. Davis's first genius plan for that day earned him a kick to the shin from Rika.

"Absolutely not!" Rika hissed.

Davis struggled to hold back his tears, holding his throbbing shin. "But—"

"No 'buts'." Rika said firmly. "You're just lucky Wizardmon's asleep right now."

"Rika, I can't believe I'm saying this but Davis has a point." Cody said. "Wizardmon's ghost told us that 'kindness would release the Golden Radiance.' Ken received his Crest of Kindness and Veemon digivolved to Magnamon. He also told us our enemy was bigger than the Digimon Emperor. Wizardmon may know more about Arukenimon and Mummymon. If he tells us what he knows he could help us fight these guys."

"The answer is no." Rika said firmly. "And that's final."

"But Wizardmon could help us get the upper hand on them!" Yolei protested. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to tell us. And if he isn't, we'll find a way to get him to talk."

Rika sighed angrily, glaring at the ground. She looked ready to yell at them again, but instead she sighed again. "You don't get it. He _wants _to tell us. He _wants _to help us how he can and but he. Just. Can't. He is physically unable to do it."

"That's ridiculous." DemiVeemon scoffed. But he suddenly yelped and hid behind Davis's legs when Rika glared at him.

"Look, I tried asking him about it too." Rika explained. "When I was a little kid and we lived in the Digital World, I used to ask Wizardmon questions all the time about why I was chosen and how he got the Digivice and Crest to give to me. Every time I did, _every time_, he would start gasping and wheezing like something wrapped around his throat to stop him from talking. I kept asking, thinking maybe I could catch him off guard. But no; every time something choked him, something stopped him." She looked at each DigiDestined in turn, and her eyes became filled with despair and anger. "You have _no idea _what it's like to hold someone close to your heart and then be forced to watch them suffer. To see their eyes full of so much fear and pain. It breaks your heart." She looked down. "I don't _ever _want Wizardmon to feel that pain. He doesn't deserve it."

Everyone fell silent, unwilling to speak another word of protest. None of them really knew how to respond to that. Kari took a breath to break the silence. "Why don't we head to the Digital World? We have work to do."

"I don't want you guys to ask Wizardmon about it anymore." Rika ordered. "Please. Just leave it alone."

"We will." Gatomon agreed. She cast a pointed look to everyone else in the room. "Right, guys?"

Everyone nodded hurriedly, unsure which was scarier: Gatomon or Rika.

* * *

"_Fire Rocket!"_

"Way to go!"

"_Double Star!"_

"Awesome!"

"Digmon, nice job!"

"_Star Shower!"_

"Thatta boy!"

"_Rosetta Stone!"_

"Say 'cheese' please!"

"_Spiking Strike!"_

"Let's go, Wizardmon!"

"You got it!"

"_Magical Game!"_

With each attack and preceding every cheer, another Control Spire fell to the power of the DigiDestined Digimon. Ken watched with a small, proud smile. He couldn't be happier that his creations of pure evil fell so easily. "I can't believe it. We're actually making progress."

"Sure we are!" Rika said as though it obvious. "Because we're awesome like that!"

"That's a hundred and forty-seven so far! Today!" Davis cheered from his perch in a nearby tree. "I think we could all use a break!"

Flamedramon landed at the base of the tree Davis stood in, dedigivolving down to Veemon. "Let's eat!"

"I'm thirsty." Kari sighed as she, Rika, Gatomon, and Wizardmon approached.

"Me too." Gatomon agreed.

"Me three." Rika sighed.

"There was a vending machine with juice in it back there a ways." T.K. offered.

"Well then why are we here?" Patamon asked.

"Hopefully it has milk." Gatomon licked her lips. "Preferably in a saucer."

"Count me in!" Kari nodded.

"Yeah let's go!" Rika urged, jogging off.

"Me too!" Davis started climbing down the tree. "I'm coming!"

"Don't worry." Kari assured. "We'll just get something and bring it back to you, okay?"

Davis stared, hanging onto the tree with all his limbs in an awkward position. He wanted to protest, but then he realized that in his position he wouldn't be able to climb down very soon. So he just groaned. "Hey, what kind should we get you?" T.K. asked.

"Whatever." Davis huffed. The others just chuckled inwardly and walked off, leaving Veemon to stare up at his trainer.

"Is Davis always trying to be such a hotshot?" Rika laughed.

"It's just his way of trying to impress and flirt with girls." T.K. shrugged. "Namely Kari."

"Gross." Rika stuck out her tongue.

"Someday you are going to have a boyfriend and I'm going to have to remind you of this moment." Wizardmon said.

"As if." Rika scoffed. "I'm not even twelve yet."

"Ah, here it is." T.K. pointed out the vending machine standing between two trees ahead.

"You have no idea how un-surprised I get by stuff like this nowadays." Rika sighed, staring at the vending machine as they approached. "I mean seriously, why the heck is there a _vending machine _in the middle of a forest?" She shook her head with a smile. "I guess it comes from living here for so long." Peering through the glass of the vending machine, she tapped her lip in thought. "What do you think, Wizardmon? What looks good?"

"I don't care." Wizardmon shrugged. "I won't be tasting it. But I highly recommend the lemon drink humans seem to love."

"Lemonade?" Rika clarified.

"That's the one." Wizardmon nodded.

"That figures." Rika giggled. "It's the only Real World specific drink you like. It's also the only other thing you'll drink besides tea and water."

"What else was I supposed to drink?" Wizardmon demanded. "Last time I drank your father's coffee, I was jittery for hours and then had a caffeine crash."

"It couldn't have been that bad." Patamon shrugged.

"It can when your crash involves falling out of the sky." Wizardmon groaned, looking very much unamused.

Everyone laughed, continuing to choose drinks for the group members and then making their way back towards the rest of the group. "Rika, why did you leave the Real World and come to live here? Don't you miss the Real World?" T.K. asked.

"Not really." Rika shrugged. "It's way cooler here. Besides, I don't really have the option to go back. Don't get me wrong, I love living with Kari and Gatomon. You guys accepted me and Wizardmon into your home and we'll always be grateful."

"Not at all." Kari waved it off.

"But let's get real here." Rika ticked off the points on her fingers. "My apartment was destroyed and by now it's renovated with new residents, my immediate family is dead, there are no other immediate family members to take me in, and who knows how long it'll take to find a distant family member to care for me? Not to mention the fact that Wizardmon and I switch every night. Can you imagine the freak out that would happen if _anyone _found out about Wizardmon?"

"Good point." Gatomon nodded.

"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't work out too well." Patamon nodded. "Maybe if you weren't combined together like you are now you could've stayed in the Real World."

"Maybe." Rika bobbed her head. "But I was only eight at the time; if anyone found me they'd send me straight to the orphanage. The very thought of it terrifies me. And Wizardmon couldn't be admitted into the orphanage."

"We like living in the Digital World." Wizardmon assured. "Rika and I traveled all over the DigiWorld in the years we spent here."

"In fact, we ran into Digimon Emperor Ken just a few days after finishing our travels." Rika said. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Speaking of Ken, where the heck is he?"

The others followed her gaze to discover Davis, Veemon, Yolei, and Hawkmon lazing about, looking almost depressed. Cody and Armadillomon sat on top of a taller rock, staring out into the distance. Patamon took a bottle of green tea and a bottle of grape juice for the youngest boy of the group and his Digimon and flew the drinks up there. When he returned, he reported that Cody held a very emotionless gaze.

"Davis, what happened?" T.K. asked as the drinks got passed around.

"Well, Yolei noticed how Ken and Cody haven't talked much lately." Davis explained. "We tried to get them to work together by having Stingmon and Digmon destroy a Control Spire. But it didn't work out too well. Cody said some things to Ken and Ken took it very seriously and now Ken and Wormmon are gone."

"You're not serious." Gatomon groaned.

"That's the whole story." Davis shrugged, looking towards Cody. "He's been up there ever since."

"We're gone ten minutes and you cause a mutiny?" T.K. groaned.

"Both of them are so stubborn." Yolei sighed. "Neither one of them is willing to talk to the other."

"I feel sorry for Cody." Kari said. "I'm sure he feels terrible."

"I don't think so." Rika shook her head. "From what I've noticed, Cody holds quite a grudge against Ken. He's not willing to forgive and forget. It's going to become a problem _really _soon and he needs to move on."

Everyone sighed collectively, taking steady gulps of their drinks. After a few sips, Davis stopped, swallowed, and looked back over at Cody. "You know what? I was thinking…maybe I should talk to both of them about acting their own age."

The rest of the kids and Digimon suddenly stopped drinking, shocked by the statement and almost choking on their drinks. Wizardmon slapped his hands over his mouth, fighting back the laugh in his throat.

"I think I can straighten them out." Davis shrugged. T.K.'s, Kari's, Yolei's, and Rika's faces turned bright red. Pretty soon none of them could hold it back; all of them burst into rigorous laughter at the very thought of Davis saying such a thing. Even Wizardmon held his stomach from laughing so hard. Davis, however, didn't think it was very funny and stood up quickly to give an annoyed glare. "All right! What exactly is so funny?"

Suddenly, Wizardmon and Rika stopped laughing. Everyone else did the same. "Wizardmon…." Rika breathed.

"I feel it too." Wizardmon confirmed.

Cody and Armadillomon looked up from their perch to see a dust cloud barreling right towards the DigiDestined. "What's that?" Armadillomon asked.

Davis stared at his friends' now-serious looks. "Um…look, are you guys mad? You don't have to give me the silent treatment, I mean come on!"

"Davis, take a look behind you." T.K. warned.

Davis turned and noticed a jeep-like car swerve and skid to a stop some ways away from them. Arukenimon and Mummymon, in their human forms, stood and exited the car. They kept chuckling evilly as though recently told a funny joke. "Shouldn't you boys and girls be home with your mommies and daddies?" Arukenimon teased.

"None of your business!" Davis shouted.

"All right, what do you want?" T.K. demanded.

"I thought you kids might enjoy playing with a little Digimon I put together." Arukenimon said.

"Same old tricks, huh?" Rika scoffed.

"When will you learn?" Yolei echoed. "Every time you try to fight us you end up losing."

"Not this time." Arukenimon assured. _"Spirit Needle!"_

As expected, several of Arukenimon's white hairs shot from her scalp, straightened and stiffened, and shot into one of the many Control Spires surrounding them. But the kids blinked in surprise when they noticed just how great many hairs shot out. The ground began to shake, much to the DigiDestined's shock, and numerous Control Spires rose from the ground, exactly one hundred of them.

"That's _a lot _of Control Spires." Rika noted a little nervously. "You think she's sending an army after us?"

"Have a good time!" Arukenimon called as she and Mummymon suddenly drove away to a safe distance (but close enough to watch the show). "Play nice!"

"Whatever it is we're ready for it!" T.K. assured.

"Davis!" Veemon called.

"Right!" Davis nodded.

"_Veemon digivolve to….ExVeemon!"_

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Patamon Armor Digivolve to…..Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"_

"_Hawkmon digivolve to…Aquilamon!"_

"_Armadillomon digivolve to…..Ankylomon!"_

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Gatomon Armor Digivolve to….Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"_

"Let's do it!" Davis called.

"Kari, let me up!" Rika requested. Kari nodded and pulled Rika onto Nefertimon's back with her. They, T.K., and Pegasusmon took off and flew ahead of the others, who hurried towards where the Control Spires gathered to create the new Digimon.

"Oh man!" T.K. breathed. "Arukenimon's making just one Digimon from that many Control Spires?"

"We can handle it." Rika assured. "Let's show this punk what we're made of!" Suddenly, the dust that used to be the Control Spires came together to form almost the very large shadow of a strange shape.

"T.K. what's that?" Kari asked worriedly. T.K. didn't get the chance to answer; the shadowy creature raised its arms and threw an ultra-powerful blow that sent Pegasusmon and Nefertimon spiraling out of the sky, taking their riders with them.

"Kari! T.K.!" Rika shouted. "Jump!" She pushed off Nefertimon and dived towards the ground, somersaulting a few times. Her boots hit the ground and she tumbled a bit, landing on her side in some pain but otherwise fine. Kari, T.K., Pegasusmon, and Nefertimon didn't get so lucky; they slammed into the dirt and grass like a couple meteors. Everyone looked up towards the rocky peak where the Control Spire dust gathered, watching the shadowy figure solidify into a new Digimon. The creature wore black and grey armor everywhere, save for his piercing yellow eyes and bush of yellow hair sprouting from the back of his helmet. He looked so familiar….

"I…..I know who that is…." Pegasusmon groaned.

"It's…it's BlackWarGreymon." Nefertimon moaned as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"He's a Mega Level Digimon." Wizardmon breathed. "He looks just like WarGreymon but he's pure evil!"

"BlackWarGreymon….." T.K. shuddered a little. "It can't be…" He soon became forced to rest his head on Pegasusmon's neck, completely exhausted from the one blow.

"It is…..but I don't know how it's possible…" Kari soon followed suit.

Rika stared in shock at the defeated DigiDestined, already down after a single blow. _This guy's tough._

"What should we do Ankylomon?" ExVeemon asked.

"I'd say protecting the kids is high on the list." Ankylomon replied.

"I agree wholeheartedly!" Aquilamon nodded. The three of them shot towards BlackWarGreymon, who came forward to meet them head-on.

Rika jumped as ExVeemon landed dangerously close to her and scrambled over to Yolei, Cody, and Davis. They watched, shocked, as BlackWarGreymon began mercilessly pounding his opponents into the ground without so much as breaking a sweat. ExVeemon, Ankylomon, and Aquilamon fought back as hard as they could, refusing to give up.

"He's too strong for them!" Davis groaned.

"They need more help!" Cody cried. "Now!"

"Paildramon is the only one who is strong enough to help!" Yolei realized. "That's it, then; we have to call Ken!"

"Perfect idea!" Rika agreed.

Yolei pulled out her D-terminal and quickly typed the email, sending it in seconds. Less than a minute later, a response came. "'I don't want to mess up the dynamics of your team'?"

"Worrying about our team is the least of our problems." Davis said.

"I say forget about Ken!" Cody growled. "We never needed him before and we don't need him now! We can do this on our own!"

"You're wrong!" Davis shouted.

"Both of you knock it off!" Yolei ordered. "You're acting like a couple of twelve-year-olds! Ugh, you know what I mean."

"We don't need Ken and that's the final word on it!" Cody shouted.

"Just shut up you pathetic little brat!" Rika shouted, suddenly grabbing Cody roughly by the arm. "The Crests and those Armor Digi-Eggs chose us to be DigiDestined; we did not choose it ourselves! Ken was chosen, so he's one of us whether you like it or not!"

"Let go!" Cody tried to wriggle free, to no avail. "You're hurting me!"

"Good!" Rika snarled. "Now you know how Ken feels! He's changed! You have to accept him because he's going to stick around and you can't do anything about it!" She shoved Cody to the ground, drawing her sword and twirling it skillfully in her hand. "Yolei! Take Aquilamon and get Ken! Bring him back kicking and screaming if you have to! I'm going to do what I can to help fight!" She took off into the battle, Wizardmon disappearing within her.

_You sure about this? _Wizardmon asked.

_Positive. _Rika assured.

ExVeemon shouted in pain as BlackWarGreymon pushed him into the dirt by his throat, struggling to get the evil Control Spire Digimon off. Out of nowhere, Rika suddenly darted up the black armored arm of ExVeemon's assailant and up to his head, slashing her sword across his helmet. It distracted BlackWarGreymon enough that he released ExVeemon, but didn't leave a mark. He jerked his head around and tossed Rika aside, forcing her to the ground. Ankylomon ran forward to ram BlackWarGreymon, but the evil creature lifted Ankylomon and threw him into ExVeemon when the blue dragon tried to stand.

"Wizardmon, give me a Magical Game attack." Rika commanded.

_On it. _Wizardmon said.

Rika felt the new energy surging through her and she readied her sword. She ran forward and leaped up to better hit BlackWarGreymon's chest. _"Magical Game!"_ She shot the blue lightning at BlackWarGreymon, only for it to bounce right off his chest. Rika's eye widened and she shouted in pain when the evil Digimon smacked her to the ground.

_Rika, you okay? _Wizardmon asked worriedly.

_I'm fine. _Rika assured. _Ken couldn't have gone far; I'm sure Yolei will be back soon. _She looked over to see Kari and T.K. now fully conscious, cradling their wounded and dedigivolved Digimon in their arms. Gatomon and Patamon looked in no shape to fight. _I can't give up now._ Rika gripped her sword tightly and charged into the fight again. She jumped up and slashed her sword again, causing a shower of sparks but again leaving no mark. BlackWarGreymon shot towards her, but she managed to dodge his lunges. ExVeemon jumped onto BlackWarGreymon's back, but he brutally hit him to the ground again. Rika lunged for the evil Control Spire Digimon but he swiped at her and sent the girl sprawling on the ground.

BlackWarGreymon turned to the fallen ExVeemon when Ankylomon rammed into him. "Let's keep fighting!" the yellow Digimon urged. "I'm sure that Stingmon will show up soon!"

ExVeemon pushed himself to his feet. "Right."

Rika narrowed her eyes and grabbed her fallen sword. "We won't give up!" They lunged for BlackWarGreymon, fighting hard to stop the evil creature from hurting anyone else.

"Davis!"

Davis looked up to see Yolei and Aquilamon with Ken and Stingmon flying beside them. "Hey Yolei!"

"I brought Stingmon and Ken to give us a hand!" Yolei announced.

"All right!" Davis cheered. He locked eyes with Ken, but blinked in surprise at the red mark on the boy's cheek, indicating Yolei probably slapped him.

"Let's get to work." Ken said.

"ExVeemon!" Rika called, grunting as she kicked BlackWarGreymon's head. "Stingmon's here! Do your thing!"

"Right!" ExVeemon nodded.

"_ExVeemon…..Stingmon….DNA Digivolve to….Paildramon!"_

Paildramon growled as he lunged for BlackWarGreymon. The evil Digimon snarled as he shot towards the hybrid. The two of them clashed together and seemed to bounce off one another, both of them swaying a bit but still able to remain in the air.

"Wow!" Paildramon breathed. "Talk about meeting head to head! We're gonna need an aspirin the size of a Control Spire after this fight." He shot back up, taking aim at his opponent. _"Desperado Blaster!"_ The blue bullets rained down on BlackWarGreymon, who stood perfectly still while rocks and explosions raged around him. But when the chaos died down and the smoke disappeared, the Mega-level Digimon remained standing as though nothing hit him.

"Uh oh." Paildramon gulped.

BlackWarGreymon made a strange noise, like a cross between a snarl and a very evil laugh. "Look, there's not even a scratch on him." Yolei breathed.

"Impossible." Ken said.

Rika stared in shock. "How can a Digimon be so strong?"

"His aura alone is so strong it's almost overwhelming." Wizardmon murmured. "There's something about him….that's different from other Control Spire Digimon."

"Paildramon was our only chance!" Davis cried. "Now what do we do?"

Then, BlackWarGreymon's eyes began to glow in a white light. The air became thick with a strange energy everyone could feel. Kari, feeling a sense of foreboding and realizing a major attack would come soon, gasped in horror. _"Let's get out of here!" _she screamed.

Too late.

None of them heard BlackWarGreymon shout an attack, but they saw the bright white light of energy charging towards them. It moved too fast for them to dodge it. The raw, unbridled burst of strength knocked everyone off their feet and the light engulfed their vision.

Rika stood frozen in the spot, staring at the energy barreling towards her.

Wizardmon's eyes widened in horror. _"Rika!"_

* * *

Rika moaned a little, sitting upright and rubbing her head. "Ouch. Huh, for such a powerful-looking blast that didn't leave much of an impact." Her eyes widened when she saw her friends.

Every single DigiDestined human and Digimon lay unconscious, either flat on the ground or leaning against rocks. They were all covered in dust, a few bruises, and red marks that looked suspiciously like burns. The rest of the Digimon dedigivolved to Armadillomon, Hawkmon, Chibomon, and Leafmon. Only pained moans came to indicate they all still lived.

"Guys?" Rika breathed. She scrambled to her feet and ran to Kari, the closest to her. "Kari! Gatomon! Hey wake up!" But the brunette and her Digimon didn't budge. Rika looked around. "Wizardmon? Wizardmon, where are you?" No answer came. Getting frantic, Rika closed her eyes and searched within herself. "Come on, Wizardmon, come on. Please answer me. Let me know you're okay." Still, no answer. Rika horrifyingly discovered she also couldn't sense Wizardmon at all, inside her or anywhere around her. "No…no, Wizardmon…please don't leave me…."

* * *

_An 8-year-old Rika ran as fast as she could through the dark forest, jumping and giving a small scream whenever thunder boomed and lightning flashed. The trees seemed to turn into monsters reaching out to grab her._

"_Wizardmon!" the little girl screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Wizardmon! Why did you leave me? Wizardmon please come back!"_

* * *

The sound of pounding footsteps pulled Rika from her flashback, and she turned to see BlackWarGreymon approaching Chibomon and Leafmon. Her face instantly shifted to a furious glare and she lunged forward, standing over the two baby Digimon and holding her sword threateningly. She wouldn't say anything to BlackWarGreymon; she only glared at him with her fire-filled lavender eyes. BlackWarGreymon didn't say anything, he only growled. But he also didn't move.

Mummymon and Arukenimon drove up in their car, stopping several feet from the Control Spire Digimon. Arukenimon stood up, smirking evilly. "You have done an outstanding job, BlackWarGreymon. You may now proceed to destroy the Digital World."

"Over my dead body." Rika hissed.

BlackWarGreymon still didn't move, only staring at Rika for several moments. Rika's angry face melted into a mildly confused one, staring at BlackWarGreymon. Her dark lavender eyes locked with his yellow ones, which somehow didn't look so sickly anymore. A strange sensation spurred in Rika's chest, and she slowly began to lower her blade.

"Don't just stand there patting yourself on the back!" Mummymon snapped. "Your master has given you new orders! Now get to work!"

Then, BlackWarGreymon did something that shocked Rika greatly: he spoke. "I will take orders from no one."

"You what?" Mummymon and Arukenimon asked in shock.

"Why should I take orders from you?" BlackWarGreymon turned to the evil Digimon behind him. "When you're so weak you need me to do your fighting for you? I must find a more worthy opponent." He turned and suddenly shot straight up into the sky, knocking Rika's hat off her head from the gust of wind. She, Arukenimon, and Mummymon watched as BlackWarGreymon flew off and disappeared in the haze of the sun's heat.

Arukenimon groaned a little and fell back, as though fainting. "Arukenimon!" Mummymon gasped as he caught the woman. "Can you hear me? Speak to me my darling!"

Arukenimon didn't speak, but she did make a sort of disgruntled, disgusted noise in her throat.

Rika continued to stare after BlackWarGreymon. _He didn't hurt me. He could've finished the job but he left instead. Why? _She knelt down and picked up her Wizardmon hat. _Maybe there's more to this BlackWarGreymon than we think._

Arukenimon glared after her creation, growling. "That pathetic creature." She looked down at the wounded DigiDestined, who still couldn't rise after such a blow. The spider woman smiled. "Well, at least now we get the fun of finally destroying those brats."

"Yes, that's it!" Mummymon encouraged. "Vent your anger."

"Hey."

The two evil Digimon looked up with surprised looks as Rika stood up, placing her hat on her head. "Let's get one thing straight here. I don't care if you're the strongest, meanest Digimon in this world or mine. You could be stronger than BlackWarGreymon, even though it's clear you are not. These kids, these Digimon, they're my friends. It's despicable enough when you attack an already weakened creature, but doing it to a creature I care about is _unacceptable._" She turned to face them, readjusting her glasses. Then she twirled her sword skillfully in her hand and held it ready to fight. "As long as I'm living and breathing, you will _not _hurt them."

Mummymon laughed. "You think you can defeat us? You are a mere child!" He morphed and changed into his Digimon form. "Take this you little brat! _Snake Bandage!"_

Rika narrowed her eyes as the linen shot towards her. In a few swift movements, she jumped out of the attack's trajectory, flipped, and sliced through the bandages. The cut linen hit the ground, lifeless. Rika landed perfectly on her feet like a cat.

"I'll take care of this." Arukenimon morphed into her Digimon form as well. _"Spider Thread!"_

Again, she missed by a mile as Rika ducked and dodged and sliced through the threads with her blade.

Arukenimon growled in frustration. "Let's destroy this girl."

"I agree." Mummymon laughed evilly, levelling his gun in his hands. He fired at Rika, but she jumped up and out of the way before diving down and slashing her sword. Mummymon barely had time to dodge it, the steel swishing centimeters from his face. Arukenimon and Mummymon both lunged for Rika, but the girl dived to one side and caused the two Digimon to collide into one another.

"Get off me, Bandage Brain!" Arukenimon hissed.

"Sorry darling." Mummymon said sheepishly.

Rika shot forward, swinging her sword. Her opponents hurriedly jumped away, glimmers of fear in their eyes. Never before did they encounter a creature so powerful, much less a human. But somehow, Rika possessed the strength to fight against them like an Ultimate Level Digimon. Her blade left marks when she slashed, but luckily they could dodge her stabs and not get impaled. Rika leaped around like a grasshopper, weaving fluidly around attacks and punching and kicking with all her strength. Years of martial arts practice and living in the Digital World gave the raven-haired girl plenty of skills to use against her opponents, who would've loved to run if they weren't so determined to destroy her.

Kari moaned a little, blinking her eyes open. She heard the sounds of a battle and moved her head to see, despite the great pain it caused her. The brunette gasped softly. "Rika?"

Gatomon groaned, opening her eyes as well. "Kari? Are you okay?"

"Sort of…." Kari's voice came out as a whisper.

"Where is BlackWarGreymon?" Gatomon breathed. "And Arukenimon and Mummymon?"

"BlackWarGreymon is gone." Kari reported in a soft voice. "He left, I guess. And….Rika's fighting Mummymon and Arukenimon."

Gatomon gasped. Her face scrunched up in pain as she rolled over to watch the battle. "Wow….she's so strong…is it because Wizardmon's inside her?"

Kari stared at Rika for a long moment, the gears churning in her brain. "No…it's more than that…she's fighting…because she cares about us….." She smiled softly. "….like a true friend….."

Rika shouted in effort as she performed a perfect, midair roundhouse kick that connected with Mummymon's skull, forcing him to the ground. Arukenimon lunged for her, but she kicked off the spider Digimon and landed a safe distance away.

_This isn't working. _Arukenimon thought. _I need a new plan or we'll never beat her._

"You have so much power." Mummymon breathed as he stood. "How is it you're so strong?"

"I have the experience of many fights and the heart of a warrior." Rika replied. "You attacked my friends, so you must be punished."

Mummymon smirked. "Someone like you should really reconsider what side to fight on. After all, your Crest plus your strength would make you a wonderful warrior for darkness."

Arukenimon noticed Mummymon holding his gun with the barrel pointed at the ground, but in a certain way that he could quickly raise it to fire. She smirked too. _For a Bandage Brain, he actually comes up with good ideas. _"He's right, you know."

"No, you're wrong." Rika argued. "I am not a warrior of darkness because I do not fight for evil."

"But my dear, your Crest is the Crest of Darkness, is it not?" Arukenimon said.

"That means nothing." Rika snapped. "It's just a tool used for Digivolution."

Arukenimon and Mummymon laughed. "You don't really believe that!" Mummymon said. "You know for a fact that the Crest chose you because it best matches your personality."

"You have darkness in you, Rika Yamada." Arukenimon chuckled darkly. "A darkness that you can't fight. That's why the Crest of Darkness chose you over everyone else. And just look at your personality: hot-tempered, quick to fight, a harsh tongue, and a heart of stone."

"That's not true!" Rika shouted, her grip tightening on her sword handle so much her knuckles turned white. "You don't know anything!"

"We know you lost your family." Arukenimon said. "That your Digimon keeps secrets from you. No one is around to care about you. You have nothing!"

"I have my friends." Rika corrected. "My heart is not stone because I actually care about other people! The DigiDestined are my family and I won't let you hurt them!"

Arukenimon's evil smirk seemed to deepen, if possible. "You will fail."

Rika's eyes widened when Mummymon suddenly lifted his gun and fired the laser straight towards Kari and Gatomon, who could only cower in terror. Quick on her feet, Rika charged forward and leaped between the blast and her friends. Shouting in effort, she held up her sword blade and miraculously deflected the laser blast. The energy ricocheted into the air and exploded, but Rika didn't notice the Snake Bandage attack coming at her until the linen strips suddenly wrapped around her throat. Mummymon, holding the other end of the bandages, suddenly yanked Rika forward and forced her to drop her sword. She gasped and gagged, fighting for breath, when Mummymon used the bandages to lift her into the air and throw her to the ground. Rika gasped, pain erupting in her spine, and clawed at the bonds around her neck. More bandages appeared, pinning her arms to the sides and constricting tighter and tighter. She fought to breathe but it became increasingly difficult to do so.

"L-leave her alone!" Gatomon shouted, shakily standing and brandishing her claws threateningly.

"Mummymon, leave this little fleabag to me." Arukenimon ordered. "You take care of our Child of Darkness."

"With pleasure." Mummymon chuckled evilly, forcing his bandages to wrap tighter around Rika. The raven-haired girl thrashed and struggled, making an almost snarling noise in her throat.

_Rika…._

Rika blinked in surprise at the soft voice. _Wizardmon? Is that you?_

_Yes….._

_Oh Wizardmon you scared me! I thought you were gone for sure. _Rika didn't speak out loud, still unable to breathe properly.

_Rika….I don't have much time….._ Wizardmon's voice came out raspy and a little strained, as though he were greatly weakened. _You…..have to do what…..I say….._

_Just hang on. _Rika struggled to pull the bandages loose to at least grab a rock to throw at Mummymon. _If I can just get out of these bandages I can—_

_No…. _Wizardmon protested weakly. _Listen to me…my strength….is almost gone….._

_Don't talk like that. _Rika half-ordered, half-pleaded.

_I'm going…...to give you an attack…. _Wizardmon instructed. _A Thunder Ball…use it…to free yourself…..and beat them….._

_But what about you? _Rika asked.

Wizardmon didn't answer for a moment. _Rika, I won't survive anyway….._

_No, no I won't let you die!_

_Neither of us….have a choice…._

_But…_

_Don't worry about me, Rika. _Wizardmon's voice was becoming weaker. _It is the responsibility….of the Digimon….to protect his partner…..at all costs._

_No! You can't keep doing this to me! You're not just my partner or guardian; you're my brother! My family! _Tears streamed down Rika's cheeks. _I love you Wizardmon and I don't want to lose you!_

Wizardmon fell silent, and although Rika couldn't see or sense it he was thoroughly surprised by her declaration.

Gatomon cried out in pain as Arukenimon smacked her to the ground. Kari trembled as she pushed herself to her hands and knees, grabbing Gatomon and pulling her in close. Rika continued to gasp and choke while Mummymon watched, a gleeful smile on his lips. Arukenimon laughed evilly as she approached Kari and Gatomon, ready to finish them off. Tears continued to pour from Rika's eyes. To Mummymon, they looked like tears of physical pain or even fear that her death would soon come. He would never realize the true meaning behind the raven-haired girl's current sorrow.

_Rika._

Rika blinked, her eyes going a little wide at Wizardmon's soft, soothing voice.

_Rika, don't cry. It'll be okay. _Wizardmon assured. She still couldn't see it, but the Majin Digimon also cried despite smiling warmly. _I love you too, imōto-chan._

Rika stared off into space for a moment before smiling warmly. _Onīsan… _She gasped in shock and a little pain and a bright light erupted in her vision…..a golden light.

Mummymon jumped back in shock, his Snake Bandages destroyed and no longer wrapped around Rika. Arukenimon whipped around and shielded her eyes from the light. Kari and Gatomon stared in shock at Rika, now encased in a glowing golden sphere.

"But it's not sunset!" Kari gasped. "What's happening?"

Rika felt something, like her very soul became slowly ripped apart. She fought back a scream of pain and instead focused on the shadowy, ghostly figure separating itself from her body. The figure solidified and Rika's eyes widened in shock to see Wizardmon. The Majin looked equally as surprised, clearly confused as Rika was as to what exactly was happening. The two continued to separate until only their arms were fused together.

"Wizardmon!" Rika suddenly shouted in terror. "Don't let go! Please!"

Wizardmon nodded and, the second his and Rika's hands weren't connected, grabbed the girl's wrist. "I won't let go! I promise!"

Rika took a hold of Wizardmon's wrist, the two of them keeping tight grips. But it seemed invisible forces pulled them further and further apart. Though the Digimon and the human tried to hold onto one another, their grips began to slip until they were holding on by fingers alone.

"Wizardmon!" Rika shouted in desperation, fresh tears springing up in her eyes.

"I won't let go!" Wizardmon shouted. _I won't let go! I can't let go! Not after everything that's happened!_

There was a flash of white light.


	17. Flashback Part One

**Flashback Part One: Finding the DigiDestined of Darkness**

Wizardmon clawed at the human's fingers, desperate to get them off so he could breathe. But his captor kept an iron death grip on his throat. Oikawa/Myotismon chuckled darkly. "Does it hurt, little Wizardmon? Is it absolutely unbearable? Take the pain you're in now and multiply it by a thousand." His evil smile deepened to a sinister frown. "That is the pain I will inflict upon Gatomon, her trainer, and every other DigiDestined Child if you don't do as I say."

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes. "Y-y-you wouldn't d-dare."

Myotismon smirked. "Really? Surely you know me better than that."

Wizardmon growled a little, but Myotismon's grip tightened around his throat, and the smaller Digimon gasped in pain. _I can deal with this kind of pain. But those children don't deserve any more pain after what Myotismon did to them! I can't let Gatomon or Kari or any of the children feel this!_ "All right!" He gasped, straining for a full breath of life-giving air. "Okay! I'll d-do what y-you ask!"

Myotismon smirked. "I knew you'd see reason." He released Wizardmon, who hit the ground hard and inhaled deeply, coughing harshly and his throat burning. Myotismon paced around Wizardmon, as though a vulture circling some carrion. "Now, I have a plan. A plan that will bring me back to power where I belong. But I need to make sure those wretched DigiDestined don't get in my way. I have discovered that a new set of DigiDestined children will be chosen in a few years. But instead of eight…there will be nine."

Wizardmon rubbed his throat and glared at Myotismon. "What…..are you talking about?"

"I'm going to create my own DigiDestined. With these." Myotismon reached into his pocket and pulled out a Digivice, tag, and Crest. The Digivice and tag looked like the other DigiDestined children's, but the Crest was black as obsidian, with the symbol in the shape of a crescent moon with a star resting on the inside of the curve.

"What is that?" Wizardmon was more curious than angry now.

"A genuine Digivice, tag, and Crest." Myotismon said. "It's the Crest of Darkness. And you are going to find a child to become my DigiDestined with you as his Digimon fighter."

"And if I don't?" Wizardmon spat defiantly.

Myotismon chuckled darkly. "Then everyone you hold dear will die and you will get a front row seat to watch. Simple as that." He turned with a sinister smirk. "Do we have an understanding?"

Wizardmon didn't want to do it. He'd rather die than do what Myotismon wanted. But he couldn't put the lives of his friends in danger; and as long as Myotismon lived he could do damage to the people Wizardmon cared about. So he sighed and accepted the tag, Crest, and Digivice from Myotismon. "I understand."

"Very good." Myotismon nodded. "I will leave the finding and training of the child to you; but I will be checking up on your progress."

"And what sort of child am I supposed to look for?" Wizardmon demanded, rising to his feet.

"Any child." Myotismon instructed. "Young, but not too young. Perhaps similar in age to Gatomon's little Kari. Just find a child and promise them anything they wish in return for training you."

"Will you be able to deliver such a promise?"

"What?"

"Well how can I promise something if you or I cannot deliver?"

"Just do it!"

Wizardmon sighed. "Very well."

"Good." Myotismon nodded as he turned to walk away. "You have three days." With that, he disappeared. Wizardmon stared at the Crest and Digivice in his hand, wanting so badly to throw them away. But the fear of harm coming to his friends kept him from doing so. He clenched his fist around the objects in his hand, squeezing his eyes shut and growling to himself.

He soon straightened up and sighed, tucking the objects away in one of his pockets. He floated off the bridge and down to the harbor, stopping several yards from Myotismon's old island hideout. He held a hand out, concentrating, and within seconds his staff shot from the waters and into his hand. Wizardmon sighed, relieved to have his old weapon back in his hands. But there was little time for relief with his new task at hand, and he knew it couldn't hesitate.

"Well, time to find the DigiDestined Child of Darkness." He decided, flying off towards the city. "I only hope the DigiDestined will be able to fight back."

_Even to this day I ask myself why I agreed to such a deal. It seemed I need to remind myself of Myotismon's character. He wouldn't just kill me if I disobeyed him; he'd track down the people I cared about and torture them, just to see me squirm. After I gave my life to protect Gatomon and Kari, I wasn't about to let them get hurt._

_But as I wandered around Odaiba, I realized that I underestimated the task given to me. I couldn't just choose any child. If the Crest and Digivice were genuine, then they would alert me to the child they belonged to. Suddenly it felt like the days spent searching for the Eighth Child. I must've gone to every single school, playground, and everywhere in between, usually going invisible so I could float close to the children and see if the Crest or Digivice reacted to them. But no matter which child I approached, be it a kind, quiet child reading a book or a bully stealing some other kid's money, none of them seemed to be deemed worthy of the title DigiDestined._

_Not that Myotismon cared._

"You had three days to find a child and you come to me with nothing!" Oikawa shouted to the wizard Digimon kneeling before him.

"Technically, _you _came to _me._" Wizardmon said, not even staring at the human hosting the evil Digimon. Suddenly, Oikawa's foot came up and collided with Wizardmon's face, sending him sprawling on the ground.

The human glared at the Digimon before him. "Do I need to hurt you again or are you going to do as I say?"

"Is this you giving me another chance?" Wizardmon said. "My, my, aren't we going soft?"

Oikawa kicked him again, this time in the stomach and knocking the wind out of Wizardmon. "I think it would be wise to keep that mouth of yours shut. Maybe the thread needs to be tightened."

_If I had a Digi-dollar for every time I heard _that _threat. _Wizardmon thought wryly.

"I am giving you only one more day and if you don't get me my DigiDestined of Darkness I will find your little cat friend and make her suffer. I can just see the pained look in those pathetic eyes now; maybe she'll start screaming."

Wizardmon clenched his fists. "I will find the child."

Oikawa nodded. "Good." He turned on his heel and walked off, down the stairs and leaving Wizardmon alone on the roof.

_I hate him. I hate him so much. I didn't know if he found Kari and Gatomon yet but I wasn't going to risk him following me if I went to check on them. I wasn't even sure he knew how to get back to the Digital World. I couldn't remember when I felt so afraid that it started controlling me. I felt so confused, so lost, and I desperately wished for a friend…for _anyone _who could understand or at least just listen to me._

_I never knew how soon that wish would come true._

Wizardmon soon became tired of flying around the city and began trudging through town, hardly noticing some of the stares he got. He came to a stop at a bridge over the harbor, noticing the drop off from the missing piece of railing and blocked by traffic cones. He turned and stared out into the distance, lost in thought. The tag, Crest, and Digivice rested in his pocket, never reacting once in the four days he held the objects. At that point, he should've felt desperate. Instead, the Majin Digimon felt only exhausted. He looked over the edge into the waters below, and for once the chilling waves looked like a comforting friend, inviting him to come in and sleep for a while….and never wake up.

His senses got a jumpstart when a set of hands shoved him to one side a few feet. He turned to see two teenage boys, smiling almost maliciously and reeking of alcohol. Wizardmon mentally sighed. _I so don't have time for this._

"Well look at this." One of the boys laughed a little crazily. "I didn't know it was Halloween!"

"That's a nice staff." The other boy slurred. "Made of gold, huh?"

"I think you two should head home before you hurt yourselves." Wizardmon said, moving to walk away from them. But suddenly one of the boys took his beer can and threw it at Wizardmon's head, forcing him to stop. He turned slowly to glare at the boys, one of them taking a swig from the beer bottle in his hand. "You should _not _have done that." Wizardmon growled.

"Just hand over the pretty trinket." The first boy ordered in that same slurred tone.

"Oh, this thing?" Wizardmon leveled his staff in his hands. When he didn't move, one of the boys lunged for him. In response he swung the metal sun ornament around and smacked the boy to the ground. The second boy came forward, but Wizardmon planted his fist into the teen's face and forced him to the ground. Wizardmon nodded in approval. "I didn't really want to do that but you caught me in a bad mood."

The first teenager rose unsteadily to his feet, pulling a switchblade from his pocket and brandishing the blade threateningly. "You shouldn't have done that." He came at Wizardmon again, slashing his blade. Wizardmon easily dodged the attacks and landed a few punches and swipes of his staff. The second boy stood and lifted one of the traffic cones, sneaking up behind Wizardmon and slamming the orange cone into his head. The boy with the knife slashed his blade across Wizardmon's arm, leaving a deep gash. He shoved Wizardmon to the ground, spinning his blade skillfully despite still being quite drunk. Wizardmon clutched his bleeding bicep, glaring at the boys. He really didn't want to use his magic against them, but at the moment he didn't seem to have much of an option.

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Wizardmon didn't dare take his eyes off the drunken teenagers in case they attacked, but he could tell the new voice belonged to a young girl. The drunk boys suddenly began to laugh. "You've got to be kidding!" one clutched his side.

"You really think a cute little wooden sword is going to help you?" the boy with the switchblade asked teasingly.

"In the proper hands, yes." The girl sounded very young, but very wise.

The boy with the switchblade lunged for the girl, who shot forward to meet him head-on. Wizardmon watched, amazed, as the girl used her blade with grace, elegance, and power. She easily knocked aside the boy's attacks and landed a couple of her own. While the wooden blade didn't cut it still left a red mark where it hit. Wizardmon couldn't see the girl's face, but he could recognize her haircut even in the dim street lighting.

"Kari?" Wizardmon breathed.

The girl knocked the blade from the boy's hand, but he suddenly kicked his foot up and knocked her to the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Wizardmon shouted, jumping to his feet and running towards the girl. But then he felt a burst of pain in his skull and something cold and bad-smelling hit his hair and neck. He groaned in pain and fell to his hands and knees, feeling a warm liquid mixing with the cold alcohol in his hair. Shards of glass littered the ground near him. The boy lifted his foot and kicked Wizardmon's face, sending him rolling off the edge of the bridge and falling down to the water.

_Being dropped into water by a bunch of bats was bad enough. At least then I was still fully conscious. I couldn't really feel my limbs moving but I still panicked, flailing around and feeling water enter my lungs instead of air. My staff was gone yet again, not that it would've helped me then. In my mind I screamed for help even when I knew none would come. But secretly I was happy. Myotismon wouldn't find me at the bottom of the harbor, which means he'll never get the Crest and Digivice. I would be doing the right thing._

Wizardmon's vision went dark, but he suddenly felt a small pair of arms wrap around his chest and pull him upwards. His head burst through the surface and he coughed up water, not strong enough to pull down his cowl so the water ran down his chest. He still couldn't open his eyes, but he heard his savior grunting effort as he…no, _she_ pulled him to the shore. The girl hooked her hands under Wizardmon's arms and hauled him up to the sand, several feet from the water. Wizardmon breathed a little heavily, the cool air greatly relieving his burning lungs.

"You okay?" a girl's voice asked.

Wizardmon moaned a little and opened his eyes to see a figure standing above him. His blurry vision distorted his sight, but he could've sworn he saw…. "Kari?"

The girl giggled a little. "You got it backwards, silly. I'm Rika. Rika Yamada."

The Majin blinked a few times, and his vision finally cleared up so he could see the little girl standing over him. She looked exactly like Kari, even the way she cut her hair, but instead of being a brunette she had pitch black locks. Her dark lavender eyes shined behind a pair of thick framed black glasses, and she wore a black gi with a blue belt. She smiled warmly, but it only made Wizardmon think of Kari again.

"What happened to those two boys?" Wizardmon breathed tiredly.

"I might've knocked them unconscious and left them on the sidewalk." Rika smirked.

"_You _did that?" Wizardmon blinked in surprise.

"Yep!" Rika nodded proudly. "And I'm only seven!"

"Wow." Wizardmon breathed. He slowly sat up, groaning a little in pain. "Thank you for your help. But I need to go."

"But you're bleeding." Rika protested. "That kid hit your head pretty hard."

Wizardmon reached a hand up to the back of his head and when he pulled his hand away there was blood on his gloved fingers. "Don't worry; I heal fast." He moved to stand, only to wobble and fall again.

"I don't think you should be walking around." Rika said. "You're not strong enough."

"I'm fine." Wizardmon insisted. Then, a growling sound emitted from his stomach, and his face burned in embarrassment.

Rika smiled knowingly. She tucked her wooden chisa katana into her belt and handed Wizardmon his staff. "Lean on this and me. I'm taking you home."

"I don't want to be any trouble." Wizardmon said.

"Don't worry about it." Rika assured. "You look like you need some help. And I feel like I'm supposed to help you."

Wizardmon took his staff and let the young girl drape his arm around her shoulders, despite being at least a foot shorter than him. "What makes you think you're supposed to help me?"

Rika shrugged as they began walking. "Not sure. Just a feeling I get." She smiled warmly again. "So you know my name. What's yours?"

The Majin Digimon didn't answer for a moment, still very much overwhelmed by the recent events. But he soon was able to say, "Wizardmon. My name is Wizardmon."

_I don't know what sort of weird if not cruel twist of Fate decided I would be found by this girl. She was like Kari's twin. In fact, the only differences between them seemed to be their hair and eye colors. Their names mirrored each other. Kari. Rika. The similarities were uncanny._

Rika knocked on the door to her apartment, apparently having forgotten her key when she left for her martial arts practice. The door was opened by a young woman in a blue floral dress and a pink apron, flour dusted in her pitch black hair. Her dark brown eyes widened at the sight of Rika and Wizardmon.

"Rika!" the woman gasped.

"Hi Mom!" Rika greeted warmly.

"Rika why didn't you call me or Dad so we could pick you up?" Mrs. Yamada asked.

"I left my phone at home." Rika admitted. "I thought it would be best if I walked. And it's a good thing I did. This is my friend Wizardmon; he was attacked by some boys and needs help."

"Oh you poor dear." Mrs. Yamada hurriedly ushered them inside. "Honey! We have a problem!"

"What is it?" a man's voice echoed from the living room.

"Rika's friend is hurt." Mrs. Yamada said, leading Rika and Wizardmon to the kitchen. She grabbed a couple towels and pressed one to Wizardmon's arm. Rika pointed out the wound on Wizardmon's head and Mrs. Yamada pressed the other towel there. Wizardmon tilted his hat down over his eyes.

"I wish you wouldn't go to so much trouble." Wizardmon said.

"It's no trouble at all." The man's voice returned, closer this time. Wizardmon lifted his hat to see the man: pale skin like Mrs. Yamada and Rika, a messy mop of straw-colored blonde hair, and dark lavender eyes, wearing jeans and a green T-shirt.

"This is my daddy." Rika introduced, gesturing to the man.

"Pleased to meet you." Mr. Yamada bowed a little.

Wizardmon bowed in return. "The honor is mine. Rika is very brave for coming to my help. Those two boys that attacked me were at least twice her size."

"She's been taking numerous martial arts lessons since she was four." Mr. Yamada said.

"Well I owe her my life." Wizardmon said.

Mrs. Yamada pulled off Wizardmon's hat and set it aside to better look at the wound on his head. That's when they all got a look at Wizardmon's ashen gray skin and pointed, elf-like ears. "If you don't mind me asking, who and what are you?"

Wizardmon looked down. "My name is Wizardmon. I'm what's known as a Digimon." He pulled away, setting the blood-spotted towels on the counter and pulling his hat back on. "I should go."

"But why?" Rika asked.

"Are you like those strange creatures that kidnapped most of Odaiba?" Mr. Yamada asked.

"Yes." Wizardmon admitted. "We're called Digital Monsters or Digimon." He started towards the door, but wobbled a little and almost tripped.

"You can't go now." Rika requested, taking Wizardmon's gloved hand. "You're hurt and hungry."

"Stick around for a while." Mrs. Yamada requested. "I can fix that tear in your sleeve and we'll get some food into you."

Wizardmon looked to the little family, blinking in surprise. "Why are you being so kind to me? I'm a monster. I hardly know you."

"Just because you're called a Digital Monster doesn't make you a bad one. I told you before I feel like I'm supposed to help you." Rika insisted. "I know it sounds weird but I feel like we really connect; like we were supposed to find each other."

Suddenly, a bright light emitted from Wizardmon's vest, making everyone gasp in surprise. Wizardmon reached into the pocket under his vest and pulled out the Digivice, tag, and Crest. They stopped glowing, and Wizardmon felt a sudden familiarity. "It can't be…" He breathed.

"What are those things?" Rika asked.

Wizardmon stared at Rika and held out the items in his hand. Rika reached out and touched the Digivice. At her touch, it began to glow again. The Crest of Darkness and its tag floated from Wizardmon's hand and over towards Rika. The raven-haired girl opened her hands and the tag and Crest rested in her palms.

"Wizardmon, what is this?" Rika asked. "It's so pretty."

"It's called a tag and Crest." Wizardmon said. "And this is called a Digivice."

"So why did it come to me?" Rika asked.

"There are human children known as DigiDestined, who are coupled with Digimon partners to act as guardians for the world." Wizardmon explained. "Not just this world but the world where I'm from: the DigiWorld."

"Really?" Rika smiled again.

"I have been searching for days to find the child this Crest and Digivice belong to." Wizardmon said. "Whoever they were would be my human partner." He stared at Rika. "That's you, Rika. The Crest and Digivice have chosen you to be a DigiDestined."

Rika stared at the Crest in her hands. "Wow!"

"Oh sweetheart, we're so proud of you!" Rika's parents hugged their daughter, complimenting her.

"So if you're my Digimon partner, does that mean you'll stay with me?" Rika asked excitedly.

Wizardmon looked down. "Only if you wish it of me."

In response, Rika suddenly ran forward and hugged Wizardmon tightly, almost tackling him to the ground. Rika's parents laughed a little, gently coaxing their daughter off the Majin.

_It had to be Fate. Or some sort of destiny. All I knew is that I finally found the DigiDestined of Darkness. That means Myotismon wasn't kidding when he said the Crest, tag, and Digivice were genuine. When Rika mentioned feeling a connection with me, I secretly felt the same way. It was as if our auras matched perfectly with each other. Not only that, but there was a feeling in my chest. A feeling I didn't recognize._

Rika wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Yuck! That boy's beer must've spilled all over you because you still stink!"

"Rika." Mr. Yamada scolded gently. "It's not his fault."

"The bathroom's down the hall, last door on your left. Why don't you go get in the tub and take a bath?" Mrs. Yamada suggested. "I'll wash your clothes and patch them up. Then we can get your wounds dressed."

"Digimon don't bathe." Wizardmon lied, hiding his face under the brim of his hat.

"Well they do in this house." Rika said firmly. "Now get in the tub before I force you in." At first, Wizardmon thought she was kidding. Then she swiped his hat off his head and tackled him to the ground, tugging on his cape.

"All right! All right!" He pushed her off and ran to the bathroom. "I'm going! I'm going! I'll leave my clothes by the door. Don't mess them up! They're the only clothes I have."

Rika giggled. "Okay!"

Wizardmon rolled his eyes, but disappeared into the room. He discovered a simple yet spacious Japanese bathroom with tile floor and a large bath tub. The Majin didn't know if he really wanted to take a bath at the moment, but one whiff of the alcohol in his hair and he decided it wouldn't hurt.

* * *

"Rika, will you go see if Wizardmon's clothes are ready?" Mrs. Yamada requested. "I'm heating up some leftover curry rice from dinner. I hope he likes it."

"Who _doesn't _like your cooking, Mom?" Rika asked as she skipped off to the bathroom.

"So Rika," an elderly gentleman with dark brown eyes and gray hair spoke up from his spot on the couch. "This Wizardmon character is a Digimon?"

"That's right, Ojīsan!" Rika nodded. "He's my partner and I know we're going to make a great team."

"What exactly _is _a Digimon?" asked an elderly woman sitting beside the man. Her hair was gray and her eyes also dark brown.

"He said he was a Digital Monster." Mr. Yamada said.

"Well he's awfully cute for a monster." The woman smirked.

Rika rolled her eyes and laughed. "Obāsan! Be nice to him, he's my Digimon and I'm going to take good care of him." She continued to laugh as she journeyed back to the bathroom. "I'm coming in!" she called, opening the door. She found a pile of clothes next to the door and Wizardmon sitting in the bathtub, facing away from her. Rika stared at the Digimon for a moment, taking in his elf-like ears, gray skin, and messy blonde hair lying loose around his shoulders. "Hey. How's the water?"

"Very nice, thank you." Wizardmon kept his back to the girl. "My clothes are right there by the door."

"Okay." Rika nodded, picking up the clothing from the floor. She gently and deliberately folded each article of clothing over her arm. Then the girl noticed something and got a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Say, is this your underwear?"

Wizardmon jumped a little, turning just enough to see Rika out of the corner of his eye. The next thing he saw was her holding his black and red heart boxers. His face burned in embarrassment, but he kept his frown as he turned away. "Yeah. What about it?"

Rika struggled to keep her laughs at bay. "Nothing…they're just so cute!"

Wizardmon's face turned a deep red, his eye twitching a little bit. "Oh shut up!"

Rika laughed harder, holding her stomach as she exited the bathroom. Wizardmon sunk deeper in the bath, groaning_. What'd I do to deserve that?_ He mentally sighed_._

When Wizardmon finally got the alcohol smell off him, he grabbed the towel from a nearby rack to dry himself off. Unfortunately, Rika hadn't returned back with his clothes. A little unsure, he wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door a little to call softly. "Hey Rika. Mrs. Yamada?"

Mrs. Yamada came down the hall, stopping outside the door. "Yes?"

"Are my clothes ready?" Wizardmon asked.

"Afraid not." Mrs. Yamada said. "But I have your underwear ready."

Wizardmon blushed and quickly took his boxers from the woman. "Thanks."

"How's the head and arm?" Mrs. Yamada tried to see, but Wizardmon remained hidden behind the door.

"Still bleeding a bit." Wizardmon responded.

"Here, let me see your head." Mrs. Yamada requested. Wizardmon turned and let her look. "Well, it looks like your head is okay. But your arm is a little concerning. Here, press this against your arm and you can get dressed in this."

Wizardmon accepted the rag and the piece of clothing from Mrs. Yamada, but blinked in surprise. "Is this a girl's nightgown?"

"It's the only piece of clothing that'll fit you." Mrs. Yamada reasoned. "It's only temporary I assure you. Just put it on and come on out to eat. I can hear your stomach growling from the kitchen."

Wizardmon sighed. "Very well."

Mrs. Yamada smiled softly as she walked off to the kitchen. "Wizardmon seems like a very nice person…er, Digimon."

"I just can't believe it!" Obāsan said. "Our little Rika, a savior of the Digital World! Wherever that is."

"It's certainly mysterious." Ojīsan agreed. "But then again, after that whole monster fiasco I would say things are actually going back to normal."

Mr. Yamada noticed Wizardmon coming around the corner. "Hey Wizardmon. Come on out."

"Wizardmon, these are my parents." Mrs. Yamada introduced to elderly couple.

"Hello Wizardmon." Obāsan greeted.

"Greetings Wizardmon." Ojīsan said.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Yamada's parents." Wizardmon said, hiding in the shadows.

"Call us Obāsan and Ojīsan." Obāsan ordered. "No need for formalities if you're going to be with us for a while."

"Why don't you come out?" Mrs. Yamada offered, setting a bowl of food on the table. "Food's ready."

Wizardmon seemed nervous, but eventually walked out into the light. He did look pretty ridiculous in the white nightgown with blue flowers; the bottom of the gown barely reached his knees. What looked most interesting and strange was the fact that Wizardmon pulled the collar of the nightgown up over his mouth.

"Come sit down." Mrs. Yamada gestured to the table. "I'll get the first aid kit and patch up your arm and head."

The wizard Digimon obeyed, sitting down at the table and silently inhaling the scent of the food before him. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, it smelled absolutely divine. Mrs. Yamada came over with a small white box with a red cross on it. She started to clean the wound on Wizardmon's arm when she noticed he hadn't started eating yet.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mrs. Yamada asked.

Wizardmon looked down. "Um…..could you look away while I eat?"

"Why?" Rika asked, kneeling on the couch and leaning on the back to stare at Wizardmon.

"I don't want you to become frightened when you see my mouth." Wizardmon said.

"Sonny, after all the crazy things that have happened, we won't be scared of very many things." Ojīsan said.

Wizardmon hated how they stared at him, but sighed in defeat and pulled the nightgown collar down to his collar bone where it belonged. The Yamada family stared in shock at the black thread across his mouth. Mrs. Yamada reached out to touch it but retracted her hand. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Wizardmon said. "I was sort of born with it."

Mrs. Yamada nodded in understanding. "Well then that's no reason to be ashamed of it."

Wizardmon blinked in surprise. Obāsan looked over to him. "You can eat and talk and whatnot, right? Then don't be sorry about something natural to you."

"I see." Wizardmon nodded, smiling softly. "Thank you."

"Now I'm going to have to clean this and it may sting a little." Mrs. Yamada warned, soaking a section of a rag with sterilizer. "Just try and not think about it."

Wizardmon nodded and started eating, scooping up a spoonful of the curry, vegetable, and rice mix and putting it in his mouth. The second he swallowed he felt a warm feeling through his stomach and chest. He sighed happily. "This is very good."

"Thank you." Mrs. Yamada said, quickly cleaning and wrapping Wizardmon's arm.

"Mom teaches a cooking class in Odaiba." Rika said.

"Seems like an appropriate occupation." Wizardmon complimented, continuing to eat while Mrs. Yamada did some work on his head.

"Oh you're so sweet." Mrs. Yamada blushed a little bit. "Do most Digimon heal as fast as you?"

"Sometimes." Wizardmon nodded.

"Well the cut on your head is almost fully healed." Mrs. Yamada said. "I think your arm is just what's most concerning."

"That'll heal pretty quickly." Wizardmon assured. "It'll have to; Rika needs to start her training to be a DigiDestined."

"Can we start tomorrow?" Rika asked excitedly. "Please?"

"You think you're ready?" Wizardmon asked with a smirk.

Rika gave a determined look. "I was born ready."

* * *

**A/N: So now you should understand that Rika's name is supposed to be Kari's name backwards. Because they're supposed to be opposites like Light and Darkness. Also, this is the first of maybe a five-part flashback; it may seem long, but it's all important.**

**Translations:**

**Ojīsan: grandpa**

**Obāsan: grandma**


	18. Flashback Part Two

**Flashback Part Two: What Makes A Family**

It was midnight, and the Yamada family slept peacefully like much of the apartment building. Wizardmon lay on the couch, snuggled under a warm and fuzzy blanket. But he tossed and turned, murmuring in his sleep. He gasped as he bolted upright, panting a little from the nightmare. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. Pulling the blanket up farther he turned over to fall asleep again. But something didn't feel right, and he turned to lay on his back and stare at the ceiling.

"So little wizard, you've found a little family."

Wizardmon bolted upright and turned to see a ghostly figure of a familiar face. "Myotismon. What're you doing here?"

"I told you if you didn't get me my DigiDestined of Darkness I would hurt your friends." The ghostly Myotismon reminded him. "I didn't want you to miss out on watching, so I came to find you. And here you are, sleeping peacefully in this lovely little home."

"You won't touch Gatomon, Kari, or any of the DigiDestined." Wizardmon declared.

"And why not?" Myotismon chuckled darkly.

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes. "I found the DigiDestined of Darkness. The little girl that lives here, Rika. The Crest and Digivice reacted to her touch." Instantly he felt as though he just condemned himself and Rika to death, but he kept the glare in his eyes.

Myotismon smirked. "Well, well. It seems you're not as useless as I thought. You are to begin her training immediately."

"We start in the morning." Wizardmon promised. "And you will have your Child of Darkness in return for leaving my friends alone. Do we have a deal?"

The vampire Digimon only smiled evilly as he disappeared into thin air, making Wizardmon wonder if he was dreaming.

_Thinking back, I wonder if I could've lied to him and told him I never found the Child of Darkness. But then he'd start questioning me about this home and he'd figure it out. I didn't know how long he'd give me to train her, but I was thankful Rika was so eager to begin. I could sense she had a lot of power in her, and perhaps that would make the training go by faster._

"Well we're off." Wizardmon announced, readjusting his hat and taking up his staff. "We'll be gone for a few days, but a few days in the Digital World will only be minutes here."

"Okay!" Mrs. Yamada waved from the kitchen. "You two be safe now!"

"We will!" Rika called as she and Wizardmon disappeared into her room. "So what now?"

"I believe the Digivice should help." Wizardmon instructed. "It'll open a portal to DigiWorld through your computer."

"Okay!" Rika nodded happily, pulling her Digivice from her pocket. She took Wizardmon's hand and pointed the Digivice to her computer. Wizardmon feared the portal wouldn't open, but in a bright flash of light the computer suddenly sucked them in. Soon they stood in the middle of a forest, greatly surprising some Gekomon that ran away in terror.

Wizardmon sighed happily. "Rika. Welcome to the DigiWorld. My home world."

Rika spread her arms and spun around, her short black hair splaying out and the sun reflecting off her glasses. "Wizardmon, it's beautiful! I love it already!"

"Yes, it's very beautiful." Wizardmon nodded. "But also very dangerous. There are good Digimon and bad Digimon, and the bad Digimon are very, _very_ dangerous. Do you understand?"

Rika stopped spinning and smiled at Wizardmon, looking more and more like Kari with every second. "I understand. But I'm not afraid. The two of us will be unstoppable. I just know it."

Wizardmon stared at his new trainer for a moment. "How can you have so much faith in someone you hardly know?"

Rika closed her eyes in thought. "I'm not sure. Just a feeling I get." She opened her eyes and looked to Wizardmon. "Besides, we'll get to know each other pretty well while we're here, right?"

Wizardmon nodded with a small shrug. "I guess so."

"So what do we start with?" Rika asked eagerly. "Who do we fight with first? What's our plan?"

_Oh yes. She was definitely ready to be a DigiDestined. Rika had this fire in her eyes that showed she was so determined to take on any challenge. I wanted to go slow at first, so I started with teaching her everything I knew about the Digital World and then some. For the first time since I met her, she sat still and listened intently as I taught her about the different Digivolution stages of Digimon, how they get reconfigured, how to tell the difference between good Digimon and bad Digimon (the differences can be very subtle or very obvious), the different labels of Data, Virus, and Vaccine, and more. I told her about different attacks for different Digimon and demonstrated mine for her. She seemed very impressed by that and the fact I could do magic. She kept staring at me with those sparkling purple eyes, the ones that seemed so full of life and laughter, and I couldn't help but smile back. It was like I was her hero or something._

_Heroes are good. Heroes save the day. Heroes don't become slaves for their enemies to train their DigiDestined of Darkness so they could take over the world._

_I was a monster. A pathetic, weak, heartless monster. I told myself I would protect Rika from the dangers of the Digital World and she trusted me. Not that I wasn't protecting her; I would, how the humans say, take a bullet for her. Okay, so apparently the DigiWorld time and Real World time lined up and her parents and grandparents were worried sick when we returned. Rika assured everyone I took very good care of her for the days we were gone. I told them that I would never let Rika get hurt, and they all just smiled and said they trusted me._

_They trusted me. They _all _trusted me. And here I was lying to every single one of them. Well, I guess I was telling the truth when I told them I would protect Rika. I'm her Digimon and I have a responsibility to my partner. We started going to the Digital World every day after Rika got home from school. I continued to teach Rika about the Digital World. Myotismon's spirit haunted my dreams and I even started seeing Oikawa hanging around Rika's school and the park where she liked to play. But I never told her anything. Whenever she asked me if something was wrong I told her nothing. Then to change the subject I'd talk about our upcoming adventure in the DigiWorld that day. We fought all kinds of Digimon that thought it a good idea to attack us. Then one day we ran into an Ultimate level GranKuwagamon that I just couldn't beat on my own. That's when I digivolved for the first time in years, since the day I digivolved to Wizardmon._

GranKuwagamon dissolved, his data bits flying off. Rika cheered, jumping up and down. One of the straps of her short overalls fell off her shoulder and she hurriedly pulled it back over her yellow T-shirt. She smiled warmly as Wizardmon's digivolved form, Baalmon, walked over to her. He looked down at his somewhat tattered white robes and turned to the lake they stood by, staring into the waters at his reflection.

"_This _is my Ultimate form?" Baalmon sighed. "I look like a monster." _How fitting._

Rika came over to stand next to her now much taller than her Digimon. "You look like a neco…neki….rome…..mancy….er….." Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"A necromancer?" Baalmon said.

"Yeah!" Rika nodded.

"That doesn't take away how hideous I look." Baalmon huffed.

"I think you look great!" Rika said, looking up towards Baalmon's mostly covered face.

"You're saying that because you're my partner." Baalmon said, not looking at her.

Rika's face fell. She reached up and took Baalmon's hand at the end of his very long arm. She gave it a comforting squeeze, working her way into his line of sight. The raven-haired girl smiled. "You're not my partner, Baalmon."

Baalmon turned to her, his red eyes widening a little.

"You're my brother." Rika hugged Baalmon's legs, still smiling warmly. Baalmon stared for a moment before reaching down and scooping the girl up into his arm, carrying her as he walked off to find a TV to open the gate home. Rika wrapped her arms around Baalmon's neck and giggled a little.

_Her brother? She thinks of me as her brother? But we weren't related in any way whatsoever. But when I finally dedigivolved to Wizardmon and we returned home that evening, I seemed to finally notice the loving look she gave me. Like she didn't just look up to be in a literal sense. But I had to wonder…how did the rest of the family feel? I already spent a month with them. Did Mr. and Mrs. Yamada think of me as their son? Did Obāsan and Ojīsan think of me their grandson? No, surely not._

_I never realized how wrong I was until we returned home that evening._

"I have an announcement to make!" Obāsan said, standing up. "Wizardmon and I are going out tonight."

Everyone looked up, blinking in surprise. But Wizardmon was the most surprised of them all. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It seems like you're not really a part of this family but you must realize the truth." Obāsan said. "So we're going out for a night on the town like Rika and I do."

"That sounds fun." Ojīsan said.

"Lots of fun." Rika assured. "Obāsan and I really enjoy ourselves when we go out."

"Maybe one of these nights we'll have a girls' night and boys' night." Mr. Yamada suggested. "Lots of families do that in the Real World. Do Digimon?"

"Not that I know of." Wizardmon said. "But my….er, the Digimon that raised me….liked to take me and the other Digimon she raised out into the marketplace or to an onsen."

"Then this'll be like that only without the other siblings." Obāsan said, walking over to a shopping bag on the table. "Only I can't call you 'Wizardmon' while we're out; I'm afraid in this world, people will find it overly strange. How about Ukito? You like that name?"

"Ukito?" Wizardmon repeated.

"It was my father's name." Obāsan said. "I think it suits you. Whenever we're out in public, we'll call you Ukito so that nobody raises eyebrows."

"I think that name suits you very nicely." Ojīsan agreed.

"I do like it," Wizardmon nodded. "But—"

"Now we have no time to waste." Obāsan said, pulling out some things from the shopping bags. "We have the entire night ahead of us."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Yamada's mother," Wizardmon turned from the elderly woman. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Of course it is!" Wizardmon didn't think he'd ever get used to that loud voice that came from such a frail-looking human. "Now change into these clothes; you'll draw less attention."

Wizardmon suddenly found a pile of boys' clothes in his lap. He looked up to politely refuse again, but the look in Obāsan's eyes made him a little nervous, so he shuffled back into Rika's room to change.

Rika gave her grandmother a look. "Obāsan, was that necessary?"

"Your little Digimon friend needs some time away from normal Digimon stuff." Obāsan shrugged. "It's time he knew what it was like to be spoiled by a grandmother."

"Obāsan, please don't embarrass me." Rika pleaded. "He's my Digimon and now my brother."

"I'm really concerned about Wizardmon." Mr. Yamada said. "This seems very uncomfortable to him."

"He's right." Ojīsan nodded. "Dear, you must be gentle and kind to him; you can't push through a wall around someone's heart. You must tear it down brick by brick."

Obāsan smiled and nodded. "Of course."

"Um…..I'm ready…."

The Yamada family turned to see Wizardmon at Rika's door, dressed in denim jeans, red and white sneakers, and a short-sleeved blue T-shirt. He pulled on a black sweatshirt and zipped it up. He kept his hair in its usual loose ponytail down his back and his gloves stayed on his hands.

"You look perfect." Obāsan smiled. "But I'm afraid too many people will stare at the stitches over your mouth." She handed Wizardmon a blue bandana. "Tie this around your mouth." Wizardmon nodded and did what he was told; he folded the cloth into a triangle and tied it about an inch above his mouth, the rest of the cloth flowing down to his collarbone and perfectly covering his sewn lips. Then Obāsan hurriedly ushered him out the door. "We'll be back in a few hours! Bye now!"

"Have fun!" everyone waved as they left.

_I had no idea what I was getting myself into that night. But surprisingly enough it only felt uncomfortable for a little while; once we got off the train into Shinjuku, I couldn't help but stare in awe at everything. When I was searching for the Eighth Child I never really had time to actually see what this town had to offer. Obāsan explained to me that Tokyo was actually split up into different sections like Shinjuku and Odaiba. It amazed me; we never had cities so large in the DigiWorld. If we did, I never went to one. I didn't realize it until after several minutes of walking that I held Obāsan's hand a little tightly. But when I looked up nervously she just gave my hand a squeeze and continued to let me hold it. It was kind of nice, though I wouldn't admit it even to myself. _

"This is my favorite music shop." Obāsan said as they passed it. "Too bad we didn't leave earlier; the store's usually only open until 4 p.m. But just look at all those instruments ready to be played."

Wizardmon paused at the window and stared inside, his eyes catching one instrument in particular. "What a beautiful flute."

Obāsan took a look. "That's an ocarina. A very unique type of flute. You know how to play?"

"A little." Wizardmon explained. "I was raised by a kind Witchmon and she used to play a flute like that all the time to help me sleep or to cheer me up. She taught me to play many of the songs she knew." He sighed softly. "Then she and a lot of Digimon I knew were killed when a creature called Devimon destroyed our village. I never got the chance to say goodbye."

Obāsan stared at Wizardmon's faint reflection and noticed how his eyes shined with unshed tears. Her gaze shifted back to the wooden and ceramic ocarinas for a moment before she put a hand on Wizardmon's shoulder and gently led him further down the road. Their next stop was a small noodle restaurant on the corner, where Obāsan instructed Wizardmon how to use the vending machine outside to get a ticket for the chefs. The two of them received their food and sat down to eat.

"So tell me about this village of yours." Obāsan said as they ate.

Wizardmon carefully lifted his bandana to slurp up some noodles without anyone seeing his stitches. He swallowed and dropped the bandana. "Well, most Majin or magical type Digimon like myself live in a town called Witchenly. The house I lived in rested in the mountains nearby, where you could get a perfect view of the village. That's where I hatched."

"Hatched?" Obāsan raised an eyebrow. And thus led into the explanation of Digimon and Digi-Eggs, which began their conversation. Wizardmon felt his tension ebb away to nothing as he laughed and chatted with the elderly woman. He started getting used to calling her "Obāsan" instead of "Mrs. Yamada's Grandmother" and he already started gaining familiarity with her calling him "Ukito." When the two of them finished dinner they resumed their walking around town. Not being much of a shopper, Wizardmon didn't really know how to answer Obāsan when she asked which store he would want to go into. So they stopped into whatever looked interesting, particularly the secondhand bookstore. Obāsan insisted on buying a few things for Wizardmon, who tried to refuse but when that didn't work tried to tell her he'd pay her back someday.

"Don't you worry about it." Obāsan insisted as they walked from the bookstore.

"Are you sure?" Wizardmon asked, holding the bag with his newly bought books.

"Ukito, you're not just my granddaughter's partner." Obāsan said. "You've been with us for a month now; you're a regular part of the family."

Wizardmon stared at the elder. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Obāsan nodded, tousling his already messy hair. "Which means you are now mine and my husband's grandson. And in this world grandparents like to spoil their grandbabies."

"Huh. Is that so?" Wizardmon mused. "We don't really have that in the DigiWorld. I mean, there was Witchmon."

"Your mother?" Obāsan said.

Wizardmon looked down. "Well, I don't know. I mean, she looked after me and cared for me and taught me everything I know about magic. She made me who I am today. But…..I don't know, I just have a hard time calling her 'Mother'."

"She raised you, didn't she?" Obāsan said. "She loved you and made sure you were well brought up. She did love you, right?"

"Very much, I believe." Wizardmon nodded. "But how can I call someone my mother if she's not directly related to me?"

Obāsan laughed lightly, putting an arm around Wizardmon and giving him a side hug. "My dear little boy. Blood and direct relationships don't make a family a…..well, family. It's the love people share with one another that makes them a family."

Wizardmon stared off into space, letting Obāsan lead the way as they returned home.

_Love makes a family. I suppose that made sense. I never really had a family for so long that I guess I forgotten what exactly made my family a family. When I was raised by Witchmon, there was nothing really unusual about it. She was a Majin type Digimon and created Digi-Eggs that hatched into Digimon. Even if she used magic to create the Digi-Eggs she still put a piece of her within each egg, making them directly related to her even when they hatched and digivolved to different types of Digimon. I was an egg someone abandoned in Witchenly because I didn't hatch on time. I didn't look healthy; unworthy to hatch in a respectable home. Witchmon took me in out of pity. Or was it out of love? I couldn't understand the concept of love and family until I met Rika and her family._

"We're home!" Wizardmon called as he and Obāsan entered the apartment.

"Obāsan! Obāsan!" Rika called, running over to them. "We're going to sing and we need you at the piano!"

"Okay, okay!" Obāsan laughed. "Uki—I mean, Wizardmon. Go take your bags back to Rika's room and then you can come and join us."

"Thanks, but I don't sing." Wizardmon said, taking the bags from Obāsan. "You go on ahead without me." He left before they could protest. Disappearing into Rika's room, he set his things in the corner and changed back into his usual clothes, sighing in relief. But he had to admit that he enjoyed being able to walk among the humans without getting stared at. As the Majin clipped his skull pin into his cowl, he heard music coming from the living room as the Yamada family began their daily music routine. Quietly, he snuck out of the bedroom and down the hall, hiding behind the corner and listening for a moment. He could hear Rika and Mrs. Yamada singing along with some sort of percussion instruments, someone clapping a rhythm, and the sound of a piano. Peering around the corner he saw Obāsan at the piano, Mr. Yamada beating on a box and a cymbal with his hands, and Ojīsan clapping the beat. The song was upbeat and fun, and by the looks of everyone's smiles they clearly had a good time while performing. Wizardmon often listened to the Yamada family as they did this every night, feeling a sense of longing and loneliness but never brave enough to come forward and observe at a closer distance. He would _not _join in; he couldn't play because he didn't know the songs and he couldn't sing because he…well, he actually never sang once in his life.

Rika turned and noticed Wizardmon's hat peeking from around the corner. She smiled broadly and skipped over. Taking his hands in hers, she pulled him out into the light and over to where the rest of the family stood. They continued singing, but Wizardmon kept his head down and face hidden. Rika still smiled, bouncing and swinging hers and Wizardmon's arms in time with the music. When the song finished, the family clapped as they did every night when they ended their song.

"Well what do you know?" Mr. Yamada laughed. "Rika actually got Wizardmon out here for our song."

"I don't really sing or play any instruments." Wizardmon said.

"That's okay; we can teach you." Obāsan said. "I'll show you how to play the piano if you wish."

"Really?" Wizardmon asked, staring at each of the family members.

"You're my brother now, Wizardmon. So you're a part of this family." Rika hugged Wizardmon tightly. Wizardmon stared at her, her words swirling in his brain.

_Brother. I was her brother. I wasn't just a Digimon partner anymore. I didn't even realize it at the time, but the people around me were accepting me into their family. At first, I didn't know what to say or feel. I had this feeling in my chest, some sort of warm feeling mixed with the knot in my stomach from nervousness. But already I was getting used to feeling a part of the family despite still feeling like an outsider. I still had this nagging feeling in the back of my head, telling me I would never really be a part of this family._

_That all changed at Rika's birthday some weeks later._

"Happy Birthday Rika." Sam Ichijōji said as he and Ken left with their mother.

"Happy Birthday!" Ken chimed in.

"Thanks guys." Rika said, hugging her friends. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" Ken bounced up and down happily.

"Why don't we hang out at lunch?" Sam suggested. "They're serving ramen."

"Yummy!" Rika cheered.

"You have a nice rest of your evening." Mrs. Yamada said.

"You too!" Mrs. Ichijōji said. "Bye!"

"Bye Ken! Bye Sam!" Rika waved.

"Bye!" the boys called as they left.

Rika skipped over to the couch and plopped down on it, sighing. "What a party!"

"It's not over yet!" Ojīsan tickled his granddaughter's stomach. "Obāsan and I have a couple more gifts for you. But we need to wait for Wizardmon to get back because we have some gifts for him too."

"Where _is _Wizardmon?" Rika asked.

"He said he needed to run an errand." Mr. Yamada said. "But he still hasn't come back yet."

"You think someone should've gone with him?" Mrs. Yamada asked. "I worry about him when he goes flying off on his own."

"If there was a problem he would've called, I'm sure." Ojīsan said.

_Knock knock knock_

They all turned and noticed Wizardmon out on the terrace, leaning heavily on his staff. He opened the sliding glass door and looked around. "Is…the party…over?"

"Yeah the last of my friends just left." Rika said.

"Good….." Wizardmon rasped a little, wobbling a bit as he came inside. He pushed the sliding glass door shut and began walking inside, but suddenly stumbled and hit the ground. The Yamada family rushed to his side and Rika carefully pushed Wizardmon upright.

"What happened?" Obāsan asked worriedly. "Were you attacked?"

"Let's just say…" Wizardmon winced as Rika helped him to his feet. "…..I ran into…a complication." He didn't dare tell them the truth. Myotismon demanded he come so that he could get an update on Rika's training. Wizardmon's report didn't meet all of Myotismon's expectations, and the Majin demanded to know what exactly the vampire had in mind for Rika. Myotismon decided Wizardmon needed to be "reminded" of his commitment to the evil Digimon, so Wizardmon was beaten ruthlessly until he could hardly find the strength to fly back home.

"I knew I should've come with you." Rika said. "You could've called me and I would come right over."

"No, no it didn't concern you." Wizardmon said. "I just need to sit down."

Rika nodded and helped him over to the couch. Wizardmon sighed and leaned back, willing his wounds to heal faster. "Are you sure you're okay?" Rika asked worriedly, giving Wizardmon's gloved hand a squeeze.

Wizardmon smiled at his human partner and squeezed her hand. "I'm fine. Digimon heal fast, remember? I'll be back up and fighting again in no time. But I'm afraid we won't be able to go to the Digital World today."

"That's okay." Rika assured.

"Besides, we have gifts for you two." Ojīsan said.

"Really?" Wizardmon blinked in surprise. "Isn't it Rika's birthday?"

"Yes, but this will also be an official Welcome-to-Our-Family party." Mrs. Yamada said. "Just wait right here and we'll be back." The adults disappeared into another room, leaving Rika and Wizardmon alone.

"Digimon heal fast, huh?" Rika asked.

"I told you not to worry about me." Wizardmon assured. "I feel stronger already. Oh I almost forgot!" He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out two rocks. "This is called obsidian. This is a moonstone. And with a little magic, it'll become something more."

"You don't have to do that, you're not strong enough." Rika said.

"No I insist." Wizardmon took each stone in each hand and murmured under his breath. The two rocks became surrounded in a purple glow and floated off Wizardmon's palms. Before Rika's mesmerized eyes, the stones morphed in shape and fused together until they formed a Yin-Yang symbol with a small loop on one end. The newly made pendant dropped down into Wizardmon's palms, and he pulled out a length of black string and looped it through the hoop to make it a necklace. "I know you seem to be fond of this symbol, so I found these rocks in a downtown store and thought I'd make this."

"It's beautiful." Rika said, taking the necklace and putting it on. She noticed Wizardmon's hands trembling a little. "That took a lot of energy, didn't it?"

"For you I'd fight the evilest creature in the DigiWorld and this one." Wizardmon said, taking Rika's hands in his. "A little magic is a small favor."

Rika smiled and hugged Wizardmon. "Thanks, Onīsan."

"We're back!" Mr. Yamada announced, everyone coming into the living room. The adults took their seats around the DigiDestined human and Digimon, each of them with a prettily wrapped present in their hands.

"Me first!" Obāsan said. "Rika, this is for you."

Rika took the box and tore off the ribbon and paper. When she opened the box, she gasped and pulled out a violin case. "No way." She opened the case and found an old violin resting inside. She hurriedly pulled out the instrument and began to play it for a few seconds before squealing happily. "Is this the violin you had as a little girl?"

"It is." Obāsan nodded.

Rika squealed again, gently placing the violin back in the case and running over to hug her grandmother. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Obāsan laughed and returned the hug. "But of course. It was always meant to be yours and I think you're finally ready to have your own violin to take to lessons."

"I'm next." Mrs. Yamada said. "Wizardmon, these gifts are for you. And no refusing." She handed her gift to Wizardmon, who accepted it and gently tore off the wrapping. A pair of pajama pants and a matching shirt rested inside the box, made of cotton and colored light blue and the shirt that buttoned up the front. "I thought those would be more comfortable to sleep in than your jumper."

"Thank you." Wizardmon said.

"They might be a little long but I can hem them if you like." Mrs. Yamada said.

"I'll let you know." Wizardmon nodded, setting the box aside.

"Here, this one's mine." Mr. Yamada handed him a smaller box. Wizardmon opened it and pulled out several bandanas, each one a different color. "The next time you go out again with one of us you could wear one of those."

"Really?" Wizardmon rubbed the fabric of one bandana. "That's…very kind of you."

"Here's mine." Ojīsan passed Wizardmon the colorfully wrapped gift. "I thought you could work with some of the things in there."

Wizardmon pulled the paper away to reveal a book of spells, looking very old and (based on the fact he sneezed after opening it) very dusty. "These spells look promising. Where did you find this?"

"An old store I like to go to." Ojīsan said. "It's full of unusual books and supposedly magical items."

"With a little work I might be able to actually perform these spells." Wizardmon said. "Thank you."

"And now for my gift." Obāsan said, passing the box she held to the Majin. Wizardmon started to smile (not that anyone could see it) as he opened the box. His smile disappeared and his eyes widened a little at the sight of the box's contents.

"What is it?" Rika asked, leaning over to look.

Wizardmon reached in and pulled out a clay ocarina flute, colored dark blue and decorated with white symbols identical to the ones on the inside of his cape. He blew into the flute, playing a few notes. It sounded exactly like Witchmon's ocarina she played for him all the time. "Is this….?"

"The owner of that music shop is a good friend of mine." Obāsan said. "I managed to take a picture of your cape and they designed and made that flute just for you."

Wizardmon stared at the flute in his hands, silent for several moments. Rika sighed. "I must look really dumb for not getting you anything. But maybe when we go to the Digital World tomorrow we'll spend the day relaxing instead of fighting. The Elecmon in Primary Village we helped out invited us to play with the baby Digimon. Sound fun?" Wizardmon still didn't answer, keeping his eyes hidden under the brim of his hat. Rika stared at her Digimon worriedly. "Onīsan?"

The Majin didn't look at Rika, but his breathing hitched a little when Rika called him "Onīsan" again. He took a slightly shuddering breath. "I just don't understand. How can you all be so kind when I hardly know you?"

"You've been around for quite some time." Mr. Yamada pointed out.

"But when I first came here you accepted me into your home within mere minutes." Wizardmon said. "You didn't ask any questions; you just helped me."

"You were hurt." Rika said. "Some idiots were hurting you and I wasn't going to let them get away with it. Even if we weren't meant to be partners, I still would've done it. I still would've brought you here so you could get better."

"But why?" Wizardmon asked, looking at each family member in turn. "Why did you decide to help me when you hardly knew me?"

Rika thought for a moment, then smiled and hugged the Majin. "You know even the closest of friends started out as complete strangers at one point in their lives."

_Those words of wisdom hit me like a Crimson Lightning attack to the head. I thought back to when Gatomon found me in that village; weak, wounded, unable to move very much. When everyone else ignored me, she helped me. After so much time in isolation, I didn't understand the concept of helping someone without something in return. Gatomon told me she didn't want anything. She called me lonely. I guess I was after such a long time without companionship. After my home was destroyed, I was afraid to grow close to people. Not that anyone really showed me kindness. Yet here I was, surrounded by people who accepted me fully into their family, re-teaching me lessons I learned from Witchmon, Gatomon, and even Kari._

_Because of that, sometimes I became angry. I wanted to forget about my past, including Gatomon and Kari and the other DigiDestined. But everything about Rika and even her family reminded me. Rika still looked so much like Kari. At one point she once wore the same clothes I first saw Kari in and I about had a heart attack. I spotted Kari and her brother Tai walking around the mall one day and hurriedly pushed Rika the other direction so they wouldn't see._

_Then there was Myotismon. Or I guess Oikawa, considering the human was the one who always came to me. He wouldn't reveal anything to me about his plans; in fact he wouldn't tell me very much at all. He actually complimented me a couple times: Rika's training was going very well. Every time he came to talk to me I demanded to know what he planned to do with Rika. In response he beat me until I could hardly fly home. Rika always asked me what happened but I refused to tell. It pained me to see that distressed look in her eyes._

_Rika still treated me like her brother. She would smile at me and encourage me whenever we went to battle a Digimon. I sort of felt like she was my sister. Once while we traveled the Digital World I digivolved to Baalmon to fight a Digimon. Afterwards I didn't digivolve back to Wizardmon for a while so we just kept walking. Rika wouldn't say it out loud, but I could tell her feet were killing her. So I lifted her up and let her sit on my shoulders. Okay, maybe she kicked me in the nose but we ended up laughing about it later. That one time, came very close to calling her "imōto-chan," but couldn't force the words out._

* * *

**A/N: I chose the Japanese dub Baalmon rather than the English dub of Reapmon just because I think it sounds better**


	19. Flashback Part Three

**Flashback Part Three: The Merge**

"Hey Wizardmon!" Rika bounced up and down excitedly as she came up to him at breakfast. "Guess what?"

Wizardmon pretended to think about it. "You're excited about something?"

"Yes!" Rika kept bouncing.

"Well what on earth are you excited about?" Mr. Yamada asked.

"There's a costume ball coming up at my school!" Rika said. "I'm allowed to bring a guest and I want Wizardmon to come!"

"A costume ball?" Wizardmon repeated.

"Yeah you could wear your Digimon clothes!" Rika said excitedly.

"I'm not sure." Wizardmon said. "I wouldn't want to stand out."

"Everyone will be in costume." Rika reasoned. "You won't look any stranger than some guy dressed as a cardboard box and tinfoil robot. I'm going as a woodland princess and Obāsan is making my dress."

"It would be nice for you to get out and spend quality time with Rika." Obāsan said. "Besides gallivanting around that Digital World."

Wizardmon thought for a moment. "Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Yay!" Rika cheered happily. "It's tomorrow night."

"I'll have your dress ready by then." Obāsan said. "But we need to do some measurements today."

"This is a little last minute, isn't it?" Wizardmon asked.

"It's not like you had any other plans." Rika flashed a snarky smirk. "But if you want, then for future reference I'll give you more of a heads-up. But I already told my teacher and all my friends that my brother was coming and he would be dressed as a really cool wizard so you have no choice." She skipped off to her room, humming happily. Wizardmon rolled his eyes, but smiled a little.

The afternoon before the dance, Mr. Yamada took Wizardmon with him to the store for groceries and the Digimon discovered a bouquet of roses, half-wilted and therefore on sale. "Could we get these?" he asked Mr. Yamada. "I can pay you back in house work."

"Not at all." Mr. Yamada said, taking the half-dead flowers and putting them in the cart. "But why would you want these?"

"I can fix them easily." Wizardmon assured. "I wanted to make something to compliment Rika's dress."

Mr. Yamada nodded in thought. "Did you say you grew up with siblings?"

"They weren't related, but Witchmon raised us all like her children so I liked to call them my siblings." Wizardmon nodded.

"Just making sure." Mr. Yamada said. "You're a really good older brother."

Wizardmon smiled under the bandana around his mouth. "Thanks." He paused. "Do you really consider me your son?"

"Sure." Mr. Yamada nodded. "You've become a part of our family; why wouldn't I?"

"I guess I'm still not totally used to it." Wizardmon said. "I spent a long time very much alone."

"We'll help you get used to it again." Mr. Yamada assured. "Besides, it's kind of nice to have someone in the family that actually looks like me. The only part of Rika that looks like me is her eyes." He tousled Wizardmon's hair. "You're a great part of the family."

Wizardmon looked up to Mr. Yamada with another smile. "Thank you….Mr. Yamada." He still couldn't call him "Dad" or "Father", but the man still accepted it with a smile.

By the time they returned home, Obāsan put the finishing touches on Rika's costume. The Japanese girl now wore a pretty forest green dress with a semi-poufy skirt, no sleeves and a brown shawl, gold designs all over the front of the torso section of the dress. Gold hemmed the collar and bottom of her dress and she wore a pair of black, short-heeled Mary Jane shoes.

"Look at me!" Rika said, twirling around. "I'm like a princess!"

"Almost." Wizardmon said. "And I have just the thing to make it perfect." He held it hands behind his back since walking into the room and now pulled them around to show Rika the half-dead roses he got. Rika stared at them quizzically until Wizardmon began using his magic to make them float in the air. Magically, the flowers became fresh and brand new, the stems losing their thorns and weaving into one another until it became a perfect circlet of roses. "A crown for the princess of the evening." Wizardmon placed the crown in Rika's raven hair, earning a wide smile from the girl.

"I love it!" Rika cheered.

"Oh Rika!" Mrs. Yamada said. "We have to get going; the ball will start any minute."

"Okay let's go!" Rika suddenly ran out the door, half-dragging Wizardmon behind her. Mrs. Yamada laughed as she grabbed her coat and followed them.

"Oh dear." Ojīsan said, looking over at Wizardmon's staff on the table. "Wizardmon forgot his wand."

"Eh, why give him the upper hand in a fight like this?" Mr. Yamada joked, causing laughter amongst him, Ojīsan, and Obāsan.

_Once again, I found myself unsure of how I would enter a situation like this. Rika literally dragged me into the school gymnasium and Mrs. Yamada just walked away with only a wave. I could feel the tension rising within myself, wanting nothing more than to literally disappear. I had the ability to, but I knew Rika wouldn't necessarily approve. Besides, for some reason I found that her encouraging smile gave me more confidence._

The gym definitely looked like a typical school dance scene that evening, with tables covered in white tablecloths and the walls decorated with streamers and balloons. Everyone dressed in a costume from anime characters to monsters to numerous fairies, princesses, and fairy princesses. Many of the guests included siblings, parents, or grandparents. Rika introduced Wizardmon to some of her friends (using his Ukito name). Wizardmon received numerous compliments about his "costume." Still, the Majin felt a little tense. He and Rika ate some food and the little girl tried to drag him onto the dance floor, to which he adamantly refused. So she went with some of her other friends to jump around and dance to the upbeat music. Wizardmon watched from his spot at a nearby table, his eyes locked on Rika.

_So many thoughts ran through my mind that evening. Where did my life stand right now? I went through so much in my life. Let's see, I lost my home, got my life saved by a friendly feline, worked like a slave for Myotismon, almost drowned and then got killed, brought back to life and forced to serve that same evil Digimon, got accepted into the Yamada family, and now I was Rika's Digimon partner and brother. Yikes, I've really had an eventful life. Now I've been integrated into this family as though I was born into it. No matter how much thought I put into it, I still wasn't completely sure how I felt about the idea. I was sort of caught in the middle of agreeing and disagreeing. But the sight of Rika's warm and loving smile made the knot become looser and looser in my stomach._

"Come on, Wizardmon!" Rika called, running over to the Majin Digimon. "There's a slow song coming up and I've decided you're going to dance with me!" She took Wizardmon's gloved hand in hers and started leading him towards the dance floor, talking excitedly to encourage him. The Digimon stayed quiet for a long time, not resisting but not exactly going along with it.

Then, Wizardmon closed his hand around Rika's fingers, surprising her enough to get her to stop talking. She stared at him for a while, as though waiting for more. "Rika….." Wizardmon breathed. "I recently lost two people very close to me. They're names were Kari and Gatomon, and they were the closest thing to family I had in a long time. I can never see them again or something bad will happen." He smiled softly. "But if I can never see them again, then I can be happy that you are in my life and that you accepted me into your family."

Rika stared for a moment, then smiled and giggled. "Come on!" She hurried him along, right in the middle of the dance floor. The music began, and numerous other partners came on from siblings to parents and their children. "Now you put one hand here." Rika instructed, placing one of Wizardmon's hands on her waist. "And my hand will go here." She placed one hand on Wizardmon's shoulder. "Then our free hands are held like this." She took his free hand and held it up close to shoulder height. "Now just watch my feet." Wizardmon nodded and looked down, his feet following Rika's as they began to dance.

"_I'd never gone with the wind  
Just let it flow  
Let it take me where it wants to go  
Till you opened the door  
There's so much more  
I'd never seen it before  
I was trying to fly but I couldn't find my wings  
But you came along and you changed everything." _

Slowly but steadily, Wizardmon felt a little more relaxed and the two of them began a steady waltz in one of the many circles of lights on the floor. Wizardmon spun Rika around, earning brighter and brighter smiles every time.

"_You lift my feet off the ground  
Spin me around  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I  
I'm lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Crazier_

_I watched from a distance as you made life your own  
Every sky was your own kind of blue  
And I wanted to know how that would feel  
And you made it so real  
You showed me something that I couldn't see  
You opened my eyes and you made me believe_

_You lift my feet off the ground  
Spin me around  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I  
I'm lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Crazier_

_Baby you showed me what living is for  
I don't wanna hide anymore….."_

"I love you Wizardmon." Rika said, pulling the Digimon from his concentration on the dance.

_I don't know what I was feeling at that moment. I refused to admit it, even to myself, that I felt something for this little girl in my arms._

Wizardmon stared at Rika for a while before smiling warmly. "I…...care for you very dearly, Rika."

Rika seemed to accept the answer and hugged Wizardmon, letting him twirl her around as they continued to dance.

"_You lift my feet off the ground  
Spin me around  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I  
I'm lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier  
Crazier  
Crazier  
Crazier  
Crazier."_

* * *

Once the ball ended, Wizardmon and Rika walked out to meet with Mrs. Yamada. But the mother hadn't arrived yet. She called Rika's cell phone a few minutes later to report she would run a little late picking them up. But Wizardmon assured her that he would get Rika home and not to worry about it.

"Are you thinking we're going to walk home?" Rika asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope." Wizardmon said, leading Rika away from the school. They rounded the corner and suddenly disappeared down an alleyway. That's when Wizardmon scooped up Rika and held her bridal style in his arms. Rika instantly wrapped her arms around Wizardmon's neck, tensing up a little. "Don't be afraid." Wizardmon said.

"I'm not afraid." Rika assured.

Wizardmon smirked and suddenly shot straight up into the air, flying high above the city. Rika's grip tightened and she gasped. "Okay, maybe I'm a _little _afraid."

"Don't worry." Wizardmon assured. "We're just going to fly on home and I promise I won't let you fall."

"I trust you." Rika said. She looked down over the city lights, sighing in awe. "You promise you won't let go?"

"Not unless you want me to." Wizardmon joked.

Rika giggled. "No. Just let my legs go and hold on tight." Wizardmon nodded and carefully let Rika's legs drop so that they flew behind her, keeping a tight grip on her waist. Warily, Rika removed one arm from around Wizardmon's neck and held it out, as though she flew beside the Majin. Wizardmon smiled and continued to glide through the air, glancing over a couple times to see Rika's overjoyed face. The raven-haired girl laughed out loud, her glasses fogging up a bit.

By the time Wizardmon touched down in front of their apartment building, he carried Rika bridal style again and she slept peacefully with a small smile still on her face. Wizardmon carried her all the way to their home, knocking on the door with his foot. Mrs. Yamada answered quietly, whispering to Wizardmon to inform him that everyone else was asleep. Wizardmon nodded in understanding and floated off to Rika's room, gently placing the girl in her bed and pulling the blanket over her. Rika sighed softly.

"Wizardmon, you're the best." She breathed.

Wizardmon smiled, rubbing Rika's head affectionately. "Sleep well, imōto-chan."

Rika's smile grew as Wizardmon floated back down to the ground and out the door. The Majin sighed tiredly and flopped down on the couch, quickly drifting off to sleep. Mrs. Yamada smiled at the sight, tiptoeing over and removing Wizardmon's hat from his head. She pulled a blanket over the Digimon and gently kissed his head before going off to her own room. Wizardmon opened his eyes tiredly and stared after her, a little shocked by the action. But he discovered he really didn't mind that much. It felt…comforting. So he only smiled softly and allowed himself to drift to sleep.

Seconds later, his eyes shot open and he bolted upright. He leaped off the couch and ran to the sliding glass door to the terrace. _That aura. I haven't felt it so close to here in weeks! _Throwing open the door and jumping outside, he glared over the railing of the balcony and saw a lone figure standing on the sidewalk below. The figure raised his dark, soulless eyes to stare at Wizardmon for a moment before turning and walking away. Wizardmon narrowed his eyes but returned to his "bed," locking the sliding glass door behind him.

_I didn't want to tell Rika I loved her. I couldn't tell her; I couldn't tell any of the family how much I cared about them. Someone like me wasn't supposed to love people or let people love me. All I ever did was cause trouble and pain for the people close to me._

_And yet, despite this, I knew I couldn't keep lying to Rika like this. Oikawa began hanging around Rika's school more often, and I knew she would soon be put in danger because of it. She deserved a better life; a life away from the dangers of being a DigiDestined; a life away from the darkness that plagued me….._

_A life safe from Myotismon._

Wizardmon flew high above the city, searching for the building at which Oikawa demanded they meet. The wizard Digimon certainly didn't want to be late to _this_ meeting. Spotting the right building up ahead, he flew off and landed on the roof. Oikawa already stood there, glaring at nothing in particular until Wizardmon landed behind him.

"You're awfully early." Oikawa noted. "So eager to receive your beating?"

"I have something to tell you." Wizardmon said determinedly. Oikawa didn't answer, so Wizardmon continued. "You put me through torture when I was your slave looking for the Eighth Child. Then when I became your sole slave you made me want to kill myself. I questioned my reason for living. You sent me on a crazy chase to find the DigiDestined of Darkness. Surprisingly enough, I found her. _She _became my reason for living. Rika helped me do things I didn't think I could accomplish at all. She treated me like family and I've come to realize how much I care about her."

"This bores me." Oikawa droned.

"I'm not done." Wizardmon's voice came out as fierce as a snarl. "You put me through hell in the past few months; but even though Rika is the DigiDestined of Darkness, she was able to pull me out of it. I have decided I will _not _let you corrupt her and fill her soul with evil. Even if it costs me my life," he twirled his staff, brandishing it threateningly. "I will put an end to you and your threats to the people I care about."

Oikawa didn't answer for a moment. Then, he spun around and launched a sphere of energy from his palm. Wizardmon easily knocked it aside and it exploded in the air. The Majin glared at Oikawa, whose eyes turned a dark purple shade that indicated the evil Digimon in the human came forth. "You are a fool, Wizardmon." Myotismon growled. "You should've sided with me. Now I'm going to kill you a second time, and I'm going to make sure you suffer greatly before I end you."

Wizardmon kept his glare, emphasizing every word. "Bring. It. _On._"

* * *

Rika bowed to her sensei as she finished her sparring with him, wiping sweat off her brow. She pulled on her shoes and walked off to go home, borrowing her friend's phone to call her mom. "Hey Mom. I'm on my way home now."

"_You sure you don't want me to come walk with you?" _Mrs. Yamada asked.

"Yeah I'll be okay." Rika assured. "Besides, I wanna see if I can find Wizardmon while I'm out."

"_He said he was running an errand and would be back soon." _Mrs. Yamada said. _"I'm sure he doesn't need a babysitter. Just be careful on your way home, okay?"_

"Yes Mom." Rika nodded and hung up, handing the phone to its owner. She walked off, out into the city and towards the train station. _I know Mom said I should just leave him be, but I can't help but feel Wizardmon needs me. I don't like leaving him alone; every time I do it seems he gets beaten up by something or someone. I wish he wouldn't keep so many things from me. I hate it when he does that._

Rika jumped when a loud explosion rang out into the air. She spun around and noticed flashing lights above a skyscraper nearby. Several people noticed the lights as well, a couple teenagers taking out cell phones to record it. Rika noticed blue lightning flying off the top of the building and into the sky, then back to the building again.

"Wizardmon!" Rika gasped. She took off running towards the building as fast as her feet would carry her.

Wizardmon dove to one side as another blast of energy hit the spot he once stood in. _"Magical Game!"_ Lightning shot from the wizard's staff, but Myotismon deflected it with ease. _How is he able to channel his attacks through this human? _Wizardmon wondered as he shot another Thunder Ball. He threw a couple more blasts but Myotismon deflected each one.

"_Crimson Lightning!"_ Myotismon produced his familiar red whip and it wrapped around Wizardmon's throat. He pulled the whip and yanked Wizardmon off his feet, throwing him to the ground several feet away. The Majin bounced and rolled and fell off the edge of the building. But he began flying again and shot back up to the roof, landing perfectly on his feet and facing the evil Digimon again.

"You're going to pay for your cruelty." Wizardmon growled.

Myotismon chuckled darkly. "And what are you going to do, Wizardmon? Kill me? You can't do that."

"Watch me." Wizardmon raised his staff threateningly.

"You're a fool." Myotismon laughed again. "If you kill me, you'll kill the man whose body I'm borrowing."

Wizardmon paused, narrowing his eyes. "Why did you choose him?"

"He was lonely, pathetic, and very sad." Myotismon shrugged. "He was the perfect target; darkness already began to consume him. I just helped him embrace it. Before he met me I'm sure he was a kind, harmless young man." He grimaced. "Not my first choice but he was the easiest at the time." He grinned maliciously. "I can see how you would feel satisfied for killing me, but how could you _possibly _live with yourself if you killed an innocent human?"

Wizardmon growled in anger and ran forward, swinging his staff towards the possessed human's skull. Myotismon caught the staff and kicked Wizardmon aside, forcing the sun-tipped staff from his hand. The evil Digimon chuckled and tossed the staff aside. He raised his hands and lightning shot down into his palms, which he then shot towards Wizardmon. The Majin couldn't hold back the agonizing scream as the electricity coursed through him. The lightning stopped and he hit the ground, breathing hard and his clothes smoking. Myotismon just stared at him, as though enjoying the pain of the Digimon before him.

"Now, are you going to be an obedient little slave and be the DigiDestined of Darkness' partner?" Myotismon asked. "Or do I have to kill you?"

An obedient slave? Like Gatomon used to be. Constantly tortured to submission and then beaten even further. And for what? For the selfish desires of an evil Digimon? So he could take over the Real and Digital Worlds because he foolishly believed it was his destiny?

Shaking, Wizardmon rose to his feet and glared at Myotismon/Oikawa. "Even if it costs me my life, you will _never _get your hands on Rika."

Myotismon sighed, seeming very disappointed. "Very well. What a pity. You had so much potential." He glared and summoned his famous red whip, lashing it towards Wizardmon. _"Crimson Lightning!"_

Wizardmon didn't move, keeping his defiant glare.

_I was ready to take the hit. I was ready to die for my friends. I was ready to give myself up one final time for their safety._

_And then, it all went wrong._

"_Wizardmon!"_

Wizardmon felt a small but strong force ram into him like a charging rhino. He tumbled to the ground, turning to stare with wide eyes at the one who pushed him out of the way.

Blood flew and Rika's eyes seemed to scream from the pain. But no sound came from her mouth. Her gi shirt was torn like her skin. She fell backwards and hit the ground with a dull _thud._

Finally snapping out of his shock, Wizardmon scrambled to his feet and ran to the girl. "Rika!" He knelt beside her, reaching out to touch her but pausing. "Rika?" His voice came out as a whisper and a little bile rose up in his throat from the sight of the blood.

"Rika?" Myotismon's eyes widened in realization. "_This _is the DigiDestined of Darkness?"

Wizardmon's shock turned to rage, and he held up a hand. His staff flew through the air and into his gloved hand. Shouting in anger, Wizardmon shot towards Myotismon. "I'll kill you!"

Myotismon narrowed his eyes and shot another energy blast, only for Wizardmon to knock it aside. "You've brought this upon yourself, you pathetic creature." The man/Digimon's purple eyes returned to their normal darkness. Oikawa pulled out some black pellets and smashed them at his feet, making smoke erupt around him. Wizardmon jumped into the black cloud but his staff hit only air. The smoke disappeared, leaving Wizardmon and Rika alone on the roof.

Wizardmon returned to Rika's side and lifted her in his arms. The raven-haired little girl's breathing came out raspy and the blood continued to pour from the deep cut in her chest. "Rika? Rika, please don't die. You can't die! Come on, say something!"

Rika's eyes fluttered open behind her glasses and she looked up almost tiredly at Wizardmon. "Are you…..all right, Wizardmon?"

Wizardmon blinked to keep his tears back, shaking a little. "You…..saved me….." He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Rika's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "About…..what?"

"Sorry I got you involved in this." Wizardmon said, feeling the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Rika smiled softly. "Don't…..be sorry….I don't have any…..regrets…..if I hadn't met you…my life would've…had no meaning….I'm glad….you and I were friends…."

Wizardmon's breathing hitched. "Rika….."

The little girl took a shaky breath. "Thank you…..for everything…Wizardmon….." She sighed and her head fell limp.

It was the worst kind of déjà vu, as Wizardmon realized this was _exactly _the way he died, and the _exact _same words he, Gatomon, and Kari used. Only now, he fully understood how his friends felt when they were forced to watch him die. Trembling, he hugged Rika to his chest and let his tears fall. "Rika….don't leave me…."

…..

Then, he felt the faintest of heartbeats. Focusing on Rika's Life Flame, he could feel it fighting to stay strong. Wizardmon narrowed his eyes in determination, grabbing his staff and hooking his arm under Rika's legs.

"I won't let you die!" Wizardmon told his unconscious sister, shooting off into the sky.

_In hindsight, I suppose I could've used my magic to at least stop the bleeding. What can I say? I panicked. I couldn't stand even the thought of losing Rika. So I flew to the nearest hospital as fast as I could._

Wizardmon landed a little hard and sprinted to the doors, pushing them opened and running inside. His outburst startled several people inside. "Please help! My sister's hurt; she needs help!"

A couple nurses came over and one of them gasped at the sight of the bloody little girl in the black gi. She called for a gurney and Wizardmon gently set Rika on the wheeled bed. Several nurses and doctors wheeled Rika away to the back of the hospital. One of the nurses stopped Wizardmon when he tried to follow.

"I have to go with her!" Wizardmon insisted, staring desperately after Rika. "I promised I wouldn't leave her!"

"Sweetheart, you have to calm down." The nurse said soothingly. "You have to trust us. We're taking her to emergency surgery and then you can go see her."

Wizardmon kept staring after Rika, not moving and breathing a little hard. "I promised….I wouldn't leave her….."

The nurse sighed sympathetically. "Can I call your parents? Have them pick you up?"

"I'm staying here until I can see my sister." Wizardmon said determinedly.

The nursed nodded. "Okay. Here, come sit down and we'll come get you when your sister's out of surgery." She led Wizardmon down to a waiting area and he sat down on one of the comfy chairs. "What's yours and your sister's names?"

"I'm Ukito Yamada and her name is Rika." Wizardmon replied.

"Can I still call your parents?" the nurse asked politely, pulling out a pencil and paper from her pocket. Wizardmon nodded and wrote down Mr. Yamada's cell number, knowing he would be up late finishing some work. "Can I get you some tea or cocoa?"

"No thank you." Wizardmon replied numbly. The nurse patted his knee comfortingly before walking off to call the Yamada family. Wizardmon stared at the floor, hardly thinking or moving.

About an hour later, the Yamada family burst through the doors of the hospital, out of breath from the running. Mrs. Yamada spotted Wizardmon and hurried over to him. "Ukito!" She panted a little as she stared at him. "Ukito, what happened? Where's Rika?" The Majin didn't answer for a while. Mrs. Yamada sat down next to him, staring worriedly. "Wizardmon? What happened?"

Wizardmon clenched his fists, shaking terribly. "I-I'm sorry….this…..wasn't supposed to happen…."

Mrs. Yamada shushed him gently, pulling Wizardmon into a hug. Obāsan, Ojīsan, and Mr. Yamada offered what comfort they could give, but they were all worried about Rika's condition.

Hours passed before the Yamada family could be permitted to see their youngest member. The second they reached the room, Wizardmon went straight to Rika's side. The 8-year-old's skin was pale and her hair a little messy. She held a pained look on her face and her breathing came out a bit raspy. Overall, she looked absolutely ghastly. She wore a hospital gown that covered the bandages going from her chest down to her waist. Wizardmon could hear the doctor talking to Rika's parents and grandparents, but he paid no attention to them. He took Rika's hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze. The aura reader could feel Rika's Life Flame getting weaker and weaker, and he knew if he didn't do something soon, she wouldn't make it.

The doctor left the family alone and everyone gathered around Rika. "The doctor says it'll be a miracle if she survives." Mrs. Yamada told Wizardmon.

"Nonsense." Ojīsan snapped. "Rika's strong. She'll make it. No problem."

"You're wrong." Wizardmon said softly. "I can feel her spirit drifting away from us. She won't make it." Everyone bowed their heads, fighting back tears. "Not alone, at least."

That last comment made them all look up and stare at Wizardmon. "What are you talking about?" Mr. Yamada asked.

Wizardmon looked at each family member in turn, his heart aching at the thought of what he was about to do but knowing he already made up his mind. "I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me. For too long I never knew what it was like to have a home or belong somewhere, and you gave me that by accepting me into your family." He placed a hand on Rika's head, gently tousling her hair. "Take care of her. Don't let anything happen to her until she wakes up."

"Wizardmon, what are you doing?" Obāsan asked.

Wizardmon didn't answer. He folded his hands at his chest with his staff resting between his palms. He closed his eyes in concentration and murmured the spell under his breath. A white glow surrounded him, the energy radiating from the glow making the lights flicker briefly. Then, Wizardmon's form dissolved into a sort of white comet and whizzed around in the air for a moment before going straight into Rika's chest.

The Majin Digimon opened his eyes to find himself in a dark space, empty except for a small light some feet away from him. He flew towards it until the light floated right in front of him. The light turned out to be a blue-colored ball of fire, as small as the fire of a lighted candle.

"Rika's Life Flame." Wizardmon whispered. But it was too small, indicating Rika's fast descent into death. Wizardmon put a hand at his chest and somehow pushed it right through his clothes and skin. When he pulled his hand out again, his own blue Life Flame floated in his palm. This flame was much larger, its core the size of a softball. "Rika, I hope you can understand why I'm doing this." Wizardmon said, taking Rika's weakened Life Flame in his free palm. "I want nothing more than to keep you safe; to protect you. I'm the one that should've taken that blow, not you. I promised I would give my life to protect you, and now I will fulfill that promise." He brought his palms closer together, combining the two Life Flames he held.

Then, he knew only darkness.

* * *

Obāsan and Ojīsan decided to go home and wait, knowing the doctors would ask less questions about Wizardmon's sudden disappearance if they said they took the "boy" home. Mr. and Mrs. Yamada remained by their daughter's side all through the night.

Just as the first rays of dawn emerged and the sun started to rise from the horizon, Rika moaned a little. Her parents jumped, this being the first sound Rika made since they arrived. They hurried to her bedside, waiting anxiously.

Finally, Rika's eyes slowly opened and she smiled softly at her mother and father. "Hey Mama. Hey Daddy."

Mrs. Yamada burst into silent tears and hugged her daughter tightly, her husband ruffling the girl's hair. Rika winced in pain from the pressure applied to her wound, but kept smiling. "Oh sweetheart. We were so worried about you." Mrs. Yamada sighed.

"I'm okay, Mom." Rika assured. "Tired, but okay." She looked around a little and discovered someone missing. "Where's Wizardmon? And where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Rika." Mr. Yamada explained. "Wizardmon brought you here after you got hurt."

"But where _is _Wizardmon?" Rika asked. "Why isn't he here now?"

The two adults exchanged looks, unsure how to break it to their daughter. Mrs. Yamada moved closer to her daughter. "Rika, honey, what Wizardmon did for you was very brave and very kind, but it came at a high price."

Tears began to well up in Rika's eyes. "Where is he, Mom? Where's my Digimon?"

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Taylor Swift's "Crazier". I just thought it'd be a good song for the dance scene in this chapter.**


	20. Flashback Part Four

**A/N: As a treat for you guys, I'm going to upload the last two flashback chapters. Plus it's been a hectic week so I haven't had much time to write. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Flashback Part Four: To Lose Everything in One Night**

_I don't know how long I stayed in darkness, unconscious and my senses unusable. But when I gained consciousness and realized my spirit still rested in Rika, I discovered she just returned home from the hospital after spending another day and night there. Rika looked overjoyed to hear my voice, even though she couldn't see me. Her parents and grandparents seemed a little concerned about Rika "talking to herself," but I guess they assumed it was some form of mourning. They all believed me dead._

_Imagine all of our surprise when the sun set that day and Rika and I made our very first switch._

_I cursed myself that day, wondering what could've possibly gone so wrong to cause this. It soon became clear what happened: the spell is usually performed with a potion, but I never had the access to it and only used the spell. Because of this, Rika and I were now two spirits occupying the same body. The spell took full effect when the sun rose and Rika woke up, giving her the physical form during the daytime and me the physical form during the night. I must've apologized a thousand times, wishing I could've avoided this. Surprisingly enough, nobody seemed angry at me. In fact, they all looked very happy to have me back. Mrs. Yamada simply said we'd have to make some slight adjustments to their lives so Rika and I didn't switch while out in public. I saw it as an inconvenience; the Yamada family saw it as a simple change._

_It was another change of life for me. When Rika returned to school after about a week of rest, I would go with her. Through her eyes I could see everything she saw. As the weeks passed, I would learn to separate my spirit and come out almost as a ghost, still possessing the ability to turn invisible. Don't ask me how, even I have no idea. But it was great; for the first time I could actually be more ingrained in Rika's life instead of spending most of my days either alone in the apartment or roaming about the city. Admittedly, I did enjoy teasing Rika about her crush on Sam Ichijōji. Sometimes she seemed to forget that I could hear her thoughts and that I _could _notice that look she'd give him. It was nice to be able to get to know the Ichijōji boys, even if they couldn't know me. Even today I feel thankful that Rika became such good friends with them._

_Still, our being stuck together did have its disadvantages. We could only go to the Digital World at night, so most of our trips were on the weekends. Very rarely did we go when Rika took physical form. Rika couldn't go to sleepovers or any other event that went past sundown. During the daytime I was only a ghost, meaning I couldn't physically stop Rika when she got into fights with people; especially the other girls in her class. I feared she would get herself into real trouble one day._

_But if anything, Rika and I were persistent. We adapted to our environment instead of fighting it. Rika's family very quickly got used to our switching every night; Rika waited until nightfall so I could eat dinner with the family. They kindly divided up their family outings equally to spend some with Rika and some with me. We all became one whole family again, and I couldn't be happier. Soon I forgot all about Oikawa and Myotismon and training Rika. She knew everything she needed to know about being a DigiDestined. Or at least _I _thought she did. Oikawa stopped showing up around Rika's school and calling me in to beat me. It was a blissful two months._

_In one night, it all ended._

Wizardmon flipped through his book contently, a small smile on his face. He looked up when Rika's parents and grandparents came in from the hallway.

"Well, we're off." Mrs. Yamada announced. "It's our anniversary tonight and we're going to a new noodle house downtown."

"And we're going to do some shopping." Obāsan said. "You sure you don't want to come?"

"I think I'd prefer to finish my book, thank you." Wizardmon said politely.

Rika's ghostly form appeared. "Have a good time!"

Ojīsan laughed heartily. "Rika, my dear! What on earth are you wearing?"

Rika looked down at her blue pajama pants, white nightgown with blue flowers, and homemade Wizardmon hat on her head. "I was trying to show Wizardmon how I made a hat just like his and I guess I slipped it on before we switched."

"And why is your violin on you back and your wooden sword in your hand?" Mr. Yamada raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

Rika shrugged. "I wanted to bring my violin and sword with me to school for show-and-tell and I didn't want to forget them when I woke up. That's all."

"Well okay." Mrs. Yamada laughed a little. "Wizardmon, I did receive a call from a friend saying they were going to drop off some cookbooks they borrowed from me. When they come, would you please put them right on the table?"

"Okay." Wizardmon nodded.

Mrs. Yamada thanked him and the adults walked out the door, leaving the Digimon and human alone. Wizardmon walked back into Rika's room and changed into black yoga pants, blue slippers, and a long-sleeved green shirt, keeping his gloves on his hands and stuffing a navy blue bandana into his pocket. He returned to the couch to read his book, but only sat there for about ten minutes before someone knocked on the door.

"Well that was fast." Rika noted. "I didn't think Mom's friend would be here until later."

"Well we're about to find out." Wizardmon said, tying his bandana around his mouth. "Now back inside my head with you."

Rika blew her bangs from her face. "Yeah, yeah, I know." She disappeared and Wizardmon chuckled a bit. He opened the door and found not a woman as he expected, but a young raven-haired boy he recognized instantly as Ken Ichijōji.

"Hello." Wizardmon greeted. "Can I help you?"

Ken, who since that moment stared at Wizardmon almost fearfully, blinked and finally spoke. "Uh…is Rika here?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Wizardmon shook his head. "She and our parents are out right now."

_Way to lie to my friend. _Rika said.

_Oh shut it. _Wizardmon replied, keeping his eyes on Ken.

"Why didn't you go with them?" Ken asked innocently.

_Now what are you going to tell him? _Rika teased.

Wizardmon decided to ignore that last jest. "I'm feeling a little under the weather. I thought I'd stay home and not get anyone else sick."

"Oh, okay." Ken seemed to accept that answer. He held out his hand and revealed Rika's Yin-Yang necklace she lost earlier that day. "I just wanted to return this to her. She dropped it while we were playing today."

_Oh thank you Ken! _Rika said giddily. _Thank you thank you thank you!_

_Would you stop that? _Wizardmon mentally laughed. "Thank you for returning it. She's been worried sick about it." He reached over to take the necklace, but Ken suddenly recoiled and held the charm to his chest. Wizardmon stared a little, unsure how to respond.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to give this to her myself." Ken requested in a small voice. Wizardmon blinked in surprise, but allowed him to continue. "It's just that we're such good friends and I want her to know that. I want to be the one to give it back to her so she knows I was the one that found it."

"And not me or your brother?" Wizardmon guessed. Ken stared at him in surprise, causing Wizardmon to chuckle. "Rika tells me a lot about you and Sam."

_You only know about them because you're always in my head. _Rika huffed.

Wizardmon laughed again, and this time Ken did too. "Would you like to come inside for a bit?" Wizardmon offered. "Rika, Mom, and Dad won't be home until late, but there's some curry rice on the stove if you'd like some."

"No thank you." Ken bowed politely. "Mom's with a friend a couple doors down and she'll be coming for me soon."

"Very well." Wizardmon nodded in understanding. "How do you know Rika anyway?"

_You already know how. _Rika said.

_I'm just making casual conversation. _Wizardmon countered.

"She goes to our school. We hang out a lot. And she taught me how to play soccer." Ken replied to Wizardmon's question. "Today she was telling me how to be gentle when dribbling the ball."

"Yes, that's very important." Wizardmon nodded. _You taught him well, Rika. I could tell just by observing._ "I bet you'll make a great soccer player with how you play."

"Really?" Ken cocked his head in confusion, as though wondering how Wizardmon could be so sure.

Wizardmon caught himself and quickly said "Well, Rika tells me anyway. She tells me that you're powerful yet very gentle. Those are good qualities to have in a soccer player."

_Nice save, oh Smooth One. _Rika laughed.

_Shut up. _Wizardmon droned.

"You know, you kind of remind me of a friend." Ken said, pulling Wizardmon from his mental conversation.

"Oh?" Wizardmon asked.

"Yeah, his name is Wormmon." Ken said.

Wizardmon's eyes widened. Even Rika's did. _Wizardmon, is that a Digimon?_

_Only one way to find out. _Wizardmon stared at Ken. "Wormmon? Is he a large green caterpillar?"

"He said he was called a Digimon." Ken said.

_Oh my gosh! _Rika squealed, almost causing Wizardmon to wince. _Ken has a Digimon!_

Wizardmon knelt down to Ken's eye level. "Tell me, did you receive a Digivice? A little piece of technology that maybe came from your computer?"

This time Ken's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"

_He has a Digivice! _Rika cheered. _That means Ken's a DigiDestined just like me!_

_That's right. _Wizardmon confirmed. He smiled at the boy in front of him. "Ken, I have something to tell you. Or, rather, something to _show _you. And I'm going to trust that you won't run away or become frightened. Can you do that?"

_Of course he can! _Rika assured. Ken nodded, looking determined. Wizardmon reached up with his gloved hands and pulled his bandana down to reveal his stitched-up mouth. Ken's eyes widened in awe and shock, and for a moment Wizardmon feared Ken would either scream, run, or pass out.

"Does it hurt?" Ken asked, sadness laced in his voice as he reached out and touched the thread with one hand.

Wizardmon laughed a little, feeling very relieved by Ken's reaction. He took Ken's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Not at all. You could say I was born with it. My name is Wizardmon, and I'm Rika's Digimon."

Ken's eyes widened. "Really? Like how Wormmon's my Digimon?"

"Exactly." Wizardmon nodded, pulling his bandana back over his mouth in case someone came. "Now you can't tell anyone about this, okay?"

_Tell him to hold onto my necklace and he can give it to me tomorrow at school. _Rika said. _Then we can talk about the Digital World and stuff!_

"You hold onto Rika's necklace and give it to her tomorrow at school." Wizardmon relayed the message. "You two can talk all you want about Digimon and the Digital World, but you can't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Okay!" Ken nodded, smiling broadly and tucking the necklace away in his pocket.

"I'm glad you and Rika are friends, Ken." Wizardmon said. "And I hope we can become good friends too."

Ken's smile grew. "And maybe you can meet Wormmon someday and we can all be friends!"

_That'd be great! _Rika agreed. _We'll have to show Ken how to get to the DigiWorld through our computer!_

"That sounds great." Wizardmon said, agreeing with both Rika and Ken. Suddenly, little Ken jumped up and wrapped his arms around the Digimon's neck in a tight hug. Wizardmon only smiled and returned the embrace.

"I'm happy we're friends." Ken said.

"Me too." Wizardmon agreed.

Ken's mother finally came by and the boy waved goodbye as they walked off. Wizardmon closed the door and Rika suddenly appeared, somehow jumping around despite floating in her spirit form.

"This is so great!"Rika cheered. "I can't wait to meet Wormmon!"

"All in good time." Wizardmon assured. "Now to sleep with you; you have school tomorrow."

Rika rolled her eyes. "You are definitely my older brother because you boss me around like one."

"That's my job." Wizardmon smirked. "Now go to sleep."

"Okay." Rika smiled and yawned a bit. "Goodnight Wizardmon."

"Sleep well." Wizardmon smiled too. Rika disappeared, back into her Digimon to sleep.

The night went on peacefully. Wizardmon ate some leftovers from dinner and finished reading his book. After that, he felt a little bored. He didn't normally watch TV, but decided the silence too deafening so began to flip through the channels. Unfortunately, nothing really looked interesting. Even most of Rika's cartoons she liked to watch weren't on. Mrs. Yamada's friend came by to drop off the books but left soon after, leaving Wizardmon once again bored. He started wishing Rika didn't go to sleep so he would at least have someone to talk to.

"We're home!" Obāsan called as they entered the apartment. The four adults came into the living room to see Wizardmon's feet in the air, the Digimon sitting upside down on the couch with his head and hair hanging off the edge.

"Bored much?" Mr. Yamada asked.

"A little." Wizardmon sighed. He curled up and spun around, standing up and stretching. "I think I'm going to fly around for a bit. I need fresh air."

"Okay." Mrs. Yamada nodded. "You be careful. Tomorrow night we'll go have a family night in Shinjuku."

"Sounds fun." Wizardmon nodded, disappearing back into Rika's room. He smiled warmly as he pulled off his casual clothes and dressed in his usual jumper, vest, shoes, and gloves. He was just tying his cape around his shoulders when he heard voices.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I'm looking for an old Digimon slave of mine."

"A what?"

"Don't bother playing dumb, Mr. Yamada."

Curious and a little fearful, Wizardmon hurriedly pulled on his cowl and hat and rushed out the door, snatching his staff on the way. But Obāsan suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him into the shadows, shielding him from view. Wizardmon listened carefully, unable to see the stranger at the door because of Mr. Yamada and Ojīsan standing in the way. Mrs. Yamada stood off to one side in the kitchen, her phone in her hand and ready to be used.

"I'm not sure what a Digimon is, but I think you should look elsewhere." Mr. Yamada said, a hand on the door and ready to close it.

"I don't think you understand." The stranger said. "This isn't just a Digimon slave; he owes me his life. At first, I believed him to be dead after a little skirmish between us. But now I understand he has fused himself with your little girl."

"If you don't leave this minute, I will call the police." Ojīsan threatened. "We don't know what you're talking about, so I suggest you just leave."

Mr. Yamada started to close the door when the stranger put a hand up and kept it open. "If you do not hand over Wizardmon in the next ten seconds, I'm afraid things are about to get _very _unpleasant for you."

"Get out of here." Mr. Yamada ordered.

The stranger sighed, as though disappointed. "Very well."

Suddenly, the door flew open and Mr. Yamada and Ojīsan flew backwards, hitting the floor. Mrs. Yamada gasped in horror. Wizardmon looked past Obāsan and his eyes widened. _No…it can't be…not here!_

Oikawa walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind him and resting his wide-brimmed hat on the coat hook. "Oh Wizardmon? Where are you?" He called out in sing-song voice that came out sinister. The man stepped further into the apartment, looking around. Obāsan pushed Wizardmon and herself farther into the shadows, out of sight. Mrs. Yamada rushed in, raising a pan and swinging it towards his head. Oikawa turned and caught her wrist, stopping the attack. He quickly snatched the phone from her hand and smashed it on the ground, making it completely unusable. He shoved Mrs. Yamada to the floor. Mr. Yamada ran in, his fist prepared to strike Oikawa's head. The dark-haired man only chuckled darkly and caught the blonde man's fist, twisting him around and wrapping and arm around his throat. Mr. Yamada struggled to get him off.

"This is how things are going to go." Oikawa said. "You either hand over Wizardmon to me or I'm going to have to snap his neck."

"Let him go this instant!" Ojīsan ordered.

"Oh come now." Oikawa said with an evil smirk. "The way I see it, you have four chances to hand him over. For every time you refuse, somebody dies." He brought his other hand up, preparing to twist Mr. Yamada's head and break his neck. "Starting with him."

"_Magical Game!"_

Oikawa jumped as a blue lightning bolt shot dangerously close to his head. His grip loosened enough for Mr. Yamada to slip out and twist his arm around, pinning Oikawa to the wall. "Well done, my boy." Mr. Yamada said, nodding to Wizardmon behind him.

Oikawa laughed. "'My boy?' Don't tell me these people _actually _care about you?"

"Shut up." Wizardmon growled. "And get out of here!"

"I don't think so." Oikawa said. "Even if your little trainer is next to useless to me, you are still my slave."

"Never again." Wizardmon said firmly.

Oikawa's smirk disappeared. "You little fool." He suddenly twisted out of Mr. Yamada's death grip and landed a firm punch to the blonde man's face, making him stumble backwards. Before anyone else could move, Oikawa suddenly grabbed Mr. Yamada's head and gave it a fierce jerk. A sickening _CRACK _rang out, and Mr. Yamada slumped to the floor, unmoving. Mrs. Yamada screamed in terror. Wizardmon's eyes went wide, staring at his now-dead foster father.

_No… _the shock prevented him from speaking.

Mrs. Yamada suddenly ran up, swinging her frying pan again. Oikawa ducked just in time, stepping back to avoid her swings. He swiftly kicked his foot up and hit the woman's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to the ground. Wizardmon, finally snapping out of his shock, ran forward and swung his staff. Oikawa grabbed the closest thing to him, a bottle of cooking oil, to block the blow, but the force of the staff connecting with the glass bottle shattered it and spilled oil all over the floor.

"You should've left when you had the chance." Wizardmon growled, readying his staff.

"Why?" Oikawa asked casually. "On the contrary; this is quite fun!" He thrust his palm towards Wizardmon and a sphere of energy shot from it. He prepared to block it but the sphere whizzed past the Majin's head and hit Obāsan instead. The elderly woman's head smacked against the wall corner and she hit the ground, out cold in seconds. Wizardmon inwardly groaned, realizing Myotismon was coming forth. He lunged for the possessed human, but Oikawa sidestepped and brought his arm around, putting a hand on the back of Wizardmon's skull and shoving it into the wall. Wizardmon shouted in pain, stumbling backwards and tasting a little blood in his mouth. Oikawa grabbed his hair and yanked him up off his feet. Mrs. Yamada moved in again, this time with a kitchen knife. Ojīsan came in from another side, holding a baseball bat. Oikawa dropped Wizardmon and caught the bat and Mrs. Yamada's wrist in each hand. He jerked the bat from the elderly man's hands and whacked him on the head with the handle, forcing him to fall to the ground in a daze. Oikawa turned to Mrs. Yamada and pinched a nerve in her wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. She moved to punch him, but he brutally slapped her aside and her head hit the corner of the table. She slumped to the floor, unconscious like Obāsan.

Wizardmon stared in horror at his foster mother, focusing on the blood trickling from the cut in her head. _No. No, stop hurting them! _He stood up quickly. _"Thunder Ball!"_ The powerful blast launched from his palm and straight towards Oikawa, who could barely jump away in time. The blast sailed across the room and connected with the TV, causing an explosion.

"You have one last chance to surrender, Wizardmon." Oikawa growled. "Or things are going to become _very _difficult for you."

"You don't scare me." Wizardmon said determinedly. "It will take a lot more than the likes of you to scare me."

Oikawa paused, as though pondering the statement. "That's true…..you aren't scared of very many things." A low groan made both of them turn and they saw Ojīsan shakily rising to his knees. Oikawa smirked evilly.

"No!" Wizardmon lunged for Oikawa, but the first Crimson Lightning strike hit him across the face and forced him to the ground. He shook it off fast and moved in again but suddenly a great pain erupted in his chest. The Digimon shouted in agony, feeling some invisible force lift him off the ground. He managed to open his eyes enough to see Oikawa's hand raised, controlling whatever force that caused him so much pain. The possessed human threw Wizardmon to the ground, but the pain still continued. Wizardmon trembled and jerked a few times, fighting to stand.

"Do make sure you keep your eyes open." Oikawa chuckled darkly, a Crimson Lightning whip forming in his free hand. "I would hate for you to miss this." He snapped his whip, hitting Ojīsan across his skull. He continued to strike the elderly man with the blood red whip, and each time Ojīsan would shout in pain. Wizardmon felt hot tears welling up behind his eyes, wanting desperately to help but overcome by the pain. But he couldn't stand listening to the shouts anymore. He looked around, seeing the rest of his human family unconscious or dead on the ground. All because of Oikawa….no, Oikawa was an innocent, ignorant man. This was Myotismon's fault.

_Everything _is Myotismon's fault.

Anger flared up in Wizardmon's chest as he watched Ojīsan fall flat on his face, unmoving. Oikawa raised the Crimson Lightning whip one more time, but Wizardmon suddenly jumped to his feet and leaped between the two men. The whip end straightened out like a sword and pierced through Wizardmon's vest, hitting his shoulder. He fell to his knees, clutching his now-bleeding shoulder and glaring hard at Oikawa. The possessed human only stared back, as though analyzing the wounded Digimon.

"I just don't understand you." Oikawa finally said. "How can you give your life so willingly for these pathetic humans?"

Wizardmon took a few breaths, teeth clenched from the pain. "If you ever…..had a family of your own…you would understand…"

Oikawa huffed. "You really are a fool. Just like your little cat friend. You both believed in so much, not realizing how stupid it was to do so." He walked around the table and over to the kitchen area, stepping over Mr. and Mrs. Yamada's bodies as he did. "You need to be taught a lesson. You disobeyed me just as Gatomon did, so you must be punished." He took a lit candle from the kitchen counter and dropped it on the floor where the cooking oil spilled. The flammable liquid instantly ignited, taking the carpet with it and soon most of the floor. Oikawa's eyes began to glow red, and he raised his arms. The fire grew larger, circling around Oikawa and steadily getting stronger. Wizardmon quickly realized what was about to happen and grabbed his staff off the floor. He slammed the end of the staff into the floor, a protective barrier sprouting from the sun ornament and surrounding him and Ojīsan just as the explosion happened. The force pushed through Wizardmon's barrier and sent him backwards over the back of the couch and tumbling to the floor. When he opened his eyes, the entire apartment was in flames. Oikawa suddenly leaped through the smoke.

"_Crimson Lightning!" _that same red whip, the one that haunted Wizardmon's nightmares, came flaring towards him yet again.

Time seemed to slow down as Wizardmon laid on his back, staring at the attack coming straight at him. The shock of everything prevented him from moving. Flames and smoke raged around him, taking away his home and the humans who used to reside in it. Everything he knew, everything he grew accustomed to in the past months, it was all leaving him and he couldn't do anything about it. He should've been sad, mournful even.

Instead, pure hatred flared up in Wizardmon's chest.

What sort of cruel Fate decided he would suffer like this? Why did Myotismon choose him? Why _him_? Why did Rika have to get hurt? Why did his new family have to die? Why did he have to gain such happiness only to lose it all again?

_What joy does Myotismon get by causing such pain?!_

Wizardmon curled his knees up to his chest and used his arms to push him into the air, flipping and turning and landing perfectly on his feet as Rika taught him. The Crimson Lighting attack hit the ground and Oikawa stumbled a bit as he landed. _"Magical Game!" _Wizardmon shouted, pointing his staff at Oikawa.

The possessed human moved aside just in time to avoid the attack. "How dare you?"

"You deserve every bit of pain I inflict on you!" Wizardmon shouted. "You're cruel and heartless! You care for no one but yourself! Gatomon and DemiDevimon, every Digimon that served you when you came to this world obeyed every order you gave! And in return _you _were the one who directly caused their suffering and for many, their deaths! Why? Why did you do it? They did everything you said even when you tortured them to no end!"

"I am not going to stand here and be lectured by you!" Oikawa threw another sphere of energy, but Wizardmon used his staff like a baseball bat and whacked the sphere away. The sound of shattering glass indicated the sliding glass door broke.

"_Thunder Ball!" _Wizardmon sent the blast flying, but once again missed. "You call _me _that pathetic one? _You _could've been content with being a powerful Digimon, but you simply had to rule the Digital World! Not only that, you felt the need to invade this world and take it over! Do you have _any idea _how much pain you caused on innocent people?"

"You are a fool." Oikawa sneered.

"No, _you're _the fool." Wizardmon corrected. "You were so caught up in your pride and cruelty that you didn't see what was clear in front of you: that the DigiDestined would defeat you. It was obvious from the start, and believe me when I say that if you ever try to take over again they will be there to stop you."

Oikawa's glare deepened. "You have uttered your final words."

Myotismon, being such a powerful Digimon, possessed the capabilities of magic just as Wizardmon did. Unfortunately, this only made them evenly matched as the battle of magic began. Both opponents threw blow after blow, but each one either missed or became deflected. Wizardmon's previous burst of adrenaline lingered, but he could start to feel the effect of the intense heat and the impure air. The thick smoke made him cough and his eyes watered, blurring his vision. Steadily, his coughs began to get worse.

"When are you going to give up?" Oikawa laughed cruelly.

"When you're dead!" Wizardmon shouted, coughing harshly. "You can't be allowed to live!"

"Oh really?" Oikawa laughed again. "You would destroy me? Knowing that you would kill the human I possess?"

"Yes." Wizardmon nodded solemnly. "And I pray I will be forgiven for such an action. But I have no choice." He twirled his staff, readying another attack. _"Magical—"_

"Hello!"

Wizardmon and Oikawa jumped, turning towards the new voice. But the thick smoke prevented them from seeing anyone.

"Hey!" the voice called again. "I'm from the fire department! Try and come towards my voice and I'll get you out of here!"

_I can't. _Wizardmon thought. _They'll ask too many questions. They'll be afraid of my appearance. _Suddenly, something hard connected with Wizardmon's skull and forced him to the ground. A thick book dropped next to him and Oikawa's feet hurried by, the man crashing through the sliding glass door. Wizardmon stared after him, wondering how in the world the human was supposed to survive a fall off the balcony. But he didn't have too much time to think about it as a pair of arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him up, half-dragging the Majin out the broken door and out to the balcony. In two seconds, Wizardmon realized two things:

One, Ojīsan pulled him out to the crisp, clean night air.

Two, the elderly man pulled himself and the Digimon up and over the railing, falling into the open air.

Wizardmon's eyes widened as the ground approached fast. He kept a tight grip on his staff in one hand and wrapped an arm around Ojīsan, willing himself to fly. Thankfully, the Majin managed to pull up and save himself and his foster grandfather from a lethal fall. But his weakened state hindered his powers and he rose and fell as he flew. He only got so far before he lost the battle against his fatigue and suddenly plummeted. Seconds before hitting the rock-solid ground, Ojīsan suddenly turned so he landed first and cushioned Wizardmon's fall. The wizard Digimon bounced and rolled across the round and hit a brick wall in the alleyway they crashed in. He groaned in pain, pushing himself upright. The cold night air relieved his burning lungs even if the smell of a nearby dumpster made it taste a little nauseating. Wizardmon looked up and noticed Ojīsan lying terrifyingly still, and he stumbled a bit as he hurried over to him.

"Ojīsan?" Wizardmon coughed, his voice still a little raspy, as he knelt beside the elder. "Come on. Tell me you're okay."

Ojīsan opened his eyes to stare tiredly at Wizardmon. "Oh cool your jets. No need to have a heart attack."

Wizardmon looked around frantically, but there wasn't another soul in sight. "I have to get help." His breathing quickened, almost hyperventilating. "I have to get help. I—"

"Would you shut up and listen?" Ojīsan droned. Wizardmon blinked, momentarily forgetting how blunt the elderly man could be when he talked. "Now listen here and don't interrupt me. You and I both know I'm not going to walk away from this."

"But —"

"What did I say?" Ojīsan snapped, coughing a bit. Wizardmon shut his mouth, allowing the elder to continue. "Wizardmon, everyone else is gone. Rika's an orphan now. You're her only family. You have to look after her. Do you understand me?"

Wizardmon nodded. "Yes sir."

"I don't know who that man was that attacked us, but I know he's not fully human." Ojīsan said, his voice getting weaker. "I also know he's the one who used to hurt you so badly. I highly doubt he's fully gone, so you're going to have to protect Rika. Take her and run away, as far away as you can. That man can never get his hands on our sweet little girl. She needs you, Wizardmon. Now more than ever." He took Wizardmon's gloved hand in his own weathered one. "It's a big responsibility. You're going to have to be her brother Ukito, her partner Wizardmon, not to mention her guardian and caretaker. I hate to force it on you but there's no choice. Can you promise me that you'll care for her? That you'll bring her up as best you can?"

By then, tears streamed silently down Wizardmon's cheeks and into his collar, but he managed to swallow back a sob and say, "Yes. I promise I will protect her with my life."

Ojīsan smiled. He reached behind him and pulled around a purse Wizardmon never noticed before, but recognized as one of Mrs. Yamada's. "It's all I could gather. I hope it's enough." He pushed the bag into Wizardmon's hands. "Remember your promise, okay?"

Wizardmon nodded, gripping the purse tightly in his hands. "I will. I promise Rika will have the best life I can give her. It won't be perfect but it will be good."

The elderly man's smile grew. Ojīsan reached up and put a hand on Wizardmon's cheek, brushing the Digimon's tears away with his thumb. "There's the Digimon I know. Good boy." He sighed contently. "Good….boy….." His head fell limp and his hand dropped to the ground.

Wizardmon stared, his dark jade green eyes locking with the elderly's lifeless ones. The Majin trembled fiercely, fresh tears like waterfalls on his face. He reached over and closed his foster grandfather's eyes, but that simple action alone sent him into a round of sobs. Normally, he hated letting his emotions out. But at the moment he hardly cared. Tears cascaded from his eyes to the ground. He let out an anguished scream. Soon, however, he realized that he couldn't stay in one place for very long. Especially not so close to the apartment. Oikawa would surely find him; there was no doubt the possessed human still lived. So the wizard Digimon wiped his eyes dry on his sleeve and stood up, taking his staff in his hands. He looked in the purse and discovered three simple items: Rika's Digivice, her tag and Crest, and her maneki-neko piggy bank.

"Hey! What're you doing down there?"

Wizardmon turned and saw a young couple standing at the entrance to the alleyway. They stared nervously but also a little angrily at him. He glared right back. "Get him to a hospital _now._"

Before the couple could respond, Wizardmon shot up into the sky, flying far away from the smoke of the burning apartment behind him. He never looked back, knowing if he did he would just start crying again. The Majin knew only one place to go that would be safest for him and Rika: the DigiWorld. He finally reached a second-hand electronics store and landed, quickly entering the store. He ignored the stares he received from most of the shoppers; when a couple boys tried to harass him he just pulled down his cowl and growled a little. Just the sight of the sewn-up mouth made the boys scream and run away in terror. Wizardmon dashed down the aisle until he reached a row of TVs in the corner. Looking around for passersby but seeing none, he pulled out Rika's Digivice and pointed it to one of the TVs.

"Digi-port open!" he whispered. In a flash, the TV sucked him in and he touched down in the Digital World.


	21. Flashback Part Five

**Flashback Part Five: "Ghost of a Chance"**

_I could hardly sleep that night, too concerned over how I would explain to Rika that her family no longer lived. When she awoke the next morning, the change of environment surprised her greatly as she expected her bed instead of a tree. Luckily she didn't fall out. But when she looked at me with those big, lavender eyes, asking me why we came to the DigiWorld and what happened, I felt my heart breaking. I couldn't lie to her; I told her the truth. Needless to say, she reacted the way any 8-year-old would: she first went into denial, then began screaming and crying and demanding I take her home. But I couldn't. It wasn't safe. Not that Rika cared. She leaped down the tree she rested in and took off through the forest, searching for something she could use as a gate to go home. I couldn't physically stop her, so I followed her and let her run. I knew there wouldn't be a TV or computer for miles around, so Rika wouldn't be able to return to the Real World. I wanted nothing more than to console her properly, but that's kind of hard when in a spirit form._

_Eventually, Rika tripped over a root and hit the ground, lying there and continuing to cry for several minutes. I stayed right by her side, making sure she could still see me. It took a while, but she finally managed to calm down and sit up, her eyes gone of tears. I assured her I would always protect her and that we would make a new life in the Digital World, and that somehow it was going to be just as good as her life in the Real World. She looked me in the eye and said she trusted me; that she knew we would make it work. She smiled at me, but I could tell this smile wasn't like her usual one. Rika's smile used to make me happy even when I felt so depressed. She never smiled like that again. It was as though she fully embraced the darkness of her Crest._

_Since then, Rika and I traveled around the Digital World. I hoped we would encounter Gatomon, but we never did. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do if we _did _come into contact with my old friend. Would she be angry? Burst into tears? Had she changed very much since I last saw her? Eventually, I gave up all hope of finding Gatomon and focused on Rika. I managed to change her wooden sword into a real one so she could protect herself during the day. Her martial arts training really came in handy, and she practiced every day. Any Digimon that attacked us would either receive a beating from Rika or a few magical blasts from myself. I didn't even realize it, but she started growing up faster than an 8-year-old should. She still held a playful nature that sometimes made me laugh, but her personality grew darker and darker as the months passed. No longer would I look at her and see that adorable little girl who shared a dance with me. It was a small victory for Myotismon; he wanted a DigiDestined of Darkness, and he got one._

_But as Rika and I finished our travels around the Digital World, I realized even worse problems arose. First off, some human boy claiming himself the Digimon Emperor started creating Control Spires and Dark Rings, enslaving and torturing Digimon all over the DigiWorld. Rika and I hardly found a moment's rest as we battled Digimon controlled by those terrible Dark Rings. The Control Spires prevented me from digivolving for a long time before Rika stumbled across an Armor Digi-Egg. We were just hiding in a cave and discovered three Digi-Eggs, two of which I would later discover belonged to Patamon and Gatomon. The third one was pure black with some sort of white and gold armor plating around it, coupled with a small pair of black wings sticking out the sides. Rika's Crest of Darkness symbol seemed etched into front of the egg. When she picked it up, it became absorbed into her Digivice and I gained the ability to Armor Digivolve to Dynasmon._

_Soon after that, I made two horrifying discoveries._

_One day, while spying on the Digimon Emperor's base, Rika suggested she meditate while I, in spirit form, go inside the base to find out more about our enemy. So I did, floating around and searching for the elusive boy. I found him, and for the thousandth time I felt a sense of remembrance as though I had seen the boy before. It wasn't until his Digimon, Wormmon, came and called him "Ken" did I realize it was the youngest Ichijōji boy. I wanted to reveal myself, to ask him why he came to the Digital World to cause such trouble. Instead, I decided to read his mind and search his memories. I never did find the answers to my questions; a harsh, cruel laughter rang out through Ken's skull and therefore mine. As the voice spoke to the corrupted boy, my second horrifying discover came: this was Myotismon's doing._

_I returned to Rika on the verge of a panic attack, unable to tell her why. But I could tell her the Digimon Emperor's true identity, and she started freaking out too. I knew we needed to help Ken; bad enough he negatively affected Rika, but I couldn't let that happen to someone like Ken. He was such a kind boy; while in his base I found a strange golden Digi-Egg with the Crest of Kindness on it, now black with corruption._

_Then it hit me. Ken was a DigiDestined, so was Wormmon, just like Kari and Gatomon or Rika and myself. I knew I couldn't just tell him that; he needed to realize it himself. To recover the kindness in his heart and uncover that Digi-Egg in his base, he needed to be shown kindness. And there was only one way to do it: to go back to the Real World and find the DigiDestined. Rika looked very surprised that I suggested it, considering our extended time away from the Real World. But I assured her everything would be fine, that I had a plan. I would never be able to explicitly tell the DigiDestined about Myotismon's involvement, but there might be a way to give them hints on how to at least help Ken. The next problem became how to find them. I knew exactly where to go; the one place I knew Kari and Gatomon would find me if I caused enough commotion._

After about five days of "haunting" the Fuji TV Station, Wizardmon began to feel the frustration setting in. He decided to take a break and joined Rika in the empty office she hid in. Luckily, the office went under renovations at the time and nobody would go in, so Rika could meditate with ease and help Wizardmon move as a spirit throughout the station.

Rika smiled in amusement as Wizardmon floated in, looking quite irritated. "Something tells me you aren't happy."

Wizardmon groaned. "I just can't believe it. I've shown myself as a shadow through their monitors, put my voice into their recordings, I even started moving about the hallways just to really freak them out! But they haven't come yet. And I know the father of two of the DigiDestined works there!"

"Give it time." Rika assured. "They'll come."

"Unfortunately, we really don't have much time." Wizardmon said. "We have to get this done and return to the Digital World to fight the Digimon Emperor."

"So what are you going to do?" Rika asked.

Wizardmon sighed. "I'm going to give my greatest performance yet. I'm pulling out all the stops. If they don't come when I'm through, I'll eat my hat."

"I'll get the green chili sauce." Rika joked.

"Just get back to meditating." Wizardmon ordered.

The Majin disappeared, back over to the other side of the TV station. He focused his strength and power, knowing this would take a lot out of him and Rika. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

Storm clouds rolled in and covered the skies; blue lightning bolts (an extension of Wizardmon's Magical Game attack) shot down towards the TV station. One bolt hit the metal structure and the power suddenly went out. The ghostly Wizardmon, now only a shadow, shot around the station and floated along the walls, floors, and ceilings. Everyone in the building started panicking and ran off to the nearest exits, terrified out of their wits. _Come on, come on! _Wizardmon growled. _You have to come sooner or later! _His desperation caused his movements to quicken, and his shadowy form hurriedly shot all around the station.

Finally, he felt it; a new yet very familiar aura entering the Fuji TV Station, followed by several others. _Gatomon…_ The shadow's form moved to the viewing platform, unconsciously remembering its exact location. Few pieces of furniture rested in the room, but one thing that made the most difference was the computer on a nearby desk. The computer switched on, letters and numbers appearing randomly and scrolling across the screen. A ghostly voice echoed throughout the room, speaking mostly in stutters instead of coherent words. The shadow darted around like a hyperactive fly.

Gatomon darted into the room on all fours, stopping upon entering and standing on her hind legs. She could hear the voice, that familiar voice she hadn't heard in so long, and looked up to see a spooky shadow flying about the room almost in a frantic frenzy.

"Gatomon!" Kari called as she and the others finally caught up. They all looked up to see the shadow, which they assumed was the ghost terrorizing everybody, circling the chandelier on the ceiling almost fervently. "What is that?" Kari breathed. Suddenly, the furniture began to shake and a deck of cards flew off the desk as though blown by the wind, hitting the DigiDestined.

"What does it want?" Davis asked frantically as the ghost continued to fly about the room. The echoing voice sent shivers up everyone's spine and fear began to grasp at their hearts.

All except Gatomon. "It wants me." She took several steps forward. "I'm here! That's enough! I'm right here! What do you want?" The shadow started slowing down, his movements less frantic.

"Davis, I think she flipped her lid." DemiVeemon said.

"What's that?" Davis asked, paying too much attention to the ghost.

DemiVeemon, Poromon, and Upamon jumped to the ground. "Let's do something!" Upamon urged.

"Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Yolei asked worriedly.

"We've got to save Gatomon!" Poromon insisted.

"_DemiVeemon digivolve to….Veemon!"_

"_Upamon digivolve to…..Armadillomon!"_

"_Poromon digivolve to….Hawkmon!"_

"They digivolved!" Yolei gasped, shocked by the action.

"I assume that's a servant of the Digimon Emperor. Sent here to frighten us." Hawkmon said. "If a Digimon is in the Real World, it has to be an enemy."

"He doesn't stand a ghost of a chance!" Davis boasted.

"Good one." Kari groaned.

"Ready?" Veemon called, spurring his two friends to charge towards the shadow.

But Gatomon turned and stepped in their path. "Wait!" The three Digimon stopped, staring at her with confused looks. Gatomon looked back towards the shadow. "I'm here!"

The computer screen froze, and the writing previously on it disappeared. Gatomon's name became spelled out, and the echoing voice spoke it. Gatomon's name appeared numerous times as the screen scrolled up.

_You're here. _Wizardmon thought. _You're really here._

_Did you expect anything less? _Rika's voice echoed in his head.

"I'm here." Gatomon told the ghost, her voice coming out a bit softer. Everyone looked to the ghost, who finally seemed to speak legible words. Or rather, word…

"It's calling Gatomon!" Cody realized.

_Rika, I need to appear to them. _Wizardmon said. _In my full ghost form, not as a shadow._

_Okay. _Rika affirmed. _But do what you need to do and then get out of there. This is going to take a lot of energy and I'm already tired as it is._

_I'll hurry. Just do it! _Wizardmon's shadowy form drifted down the wall, over the windows, and to the floor, creeping up until he rested just a few feet from Gatomon.

The white cat's eyes stayed locked on the shadow. _Could it be? It's really him. _"Wizardmon!"

The original eight DigiDestined's eyes widened and they all gasped. None of them could believe it, assuming Gatomon lost her mind completely. Then, a navy blue wizard's hat with a skull appeared from the floor, the shadow steadily materializing until a familiar figure stood before Gatomon.

Wizardmon's ghost.

"Gatomon." Wizardmon breathed. _My friend. You haven't changed a bit. Except for that new light in your eyes; the light of hopefulness and love. It's nice to see. _"I'm glad you've come."

"Wizardmon!" Kari said happily. In fact, all but Davis, Cody, Yolei, and their Digimon looked overjoyed to see their old friend who was taken from them four years ago. The newest DigiDestined just looked confused, unsure what to make of this ghostly Digimon that everyone else seemed to know so well.

"A friend?" Cody asked.

"I sure hope so!" Yolei gulped a little.

Gatomon paid no attention to them, staring happily at her long-lost friend. "Wizardmon. It's good to see you again. You were calling me, weren't you?"

_Speed it along, Wizardmon. _Rika's voice came a little strained.

_Right. _Wizardmon kept his gaze on Gatomon, fighting the urge to run forward and hug her. "I need to tell you something, Gatomon."

Gatomon turned more serious. "What is it, old friend?"

Those words made his heart hurt even more, but the Majin stayed serious. "Your great enemy. You cannot beat him as you are now."

"Does he….does he mean the Digimon Emperor." Davis asked.

"Your enemy is not the Digimon Emperor, but a much greater darkness." Wizardmon felt nothing squeezing his throat, so he continued. "The darkness….it cannot be defeated with your strength alone. You must return the one wrapped in darkness to his true self."

"What?" Gatomon blinked in confused. "'True self'?"

"Kindness will release the Golden Radiance." Wizardmon said carefully, waiting for some invisible force to stop him. But none came. _So far, so good._

_Wizardmon…_

_I'm almost done. Just hang on._

"Kindness?" Yolei scoffed. "I hope he doesn't mean we have to be nice to Ken."

_That's pretty much what I'm saying. _Wizardmon thought. He kept his eyes locked with Gatomon's. "Kindness alone will not prevail, Gatomon. The Golden Radiance is also necessary."

_Wizardmon, you're running out of time._

Gatomon seemed to understand, because she nodded. "I understand."

"You don't have much time." Wizardmon said quickly, sensing Rika beginning to pull him back. "The time is near." He looked to the rest of the DigiDestined. "Hurry, all of you."

"Us?" Veemon asked, a little nervously.

_I'm sorry, Wizardmon. It's time to go._

_I know. _Wizardmon looked to Gatomon, but spoke to the DigiDestined. "Take care of Gatomon."

"Wizardmon!" Gatomon cried, her voice cracking. She reached out a paw, stepping closer to Wizardmon. The Majin stared for a brief moment before lifting a gloved hand and extending it to meet Gatomon's paw. He longed to hold her close, to comfort her and tell her everything would be all right. But cruel reality took a devastating blow when Gatomon's paw pushed right through Wizardmon's hand. She stared, gasping a little and tears welling up in her eyes. Wizardmon, fighting tears of his own, withdrew his arm and stared at this gloved hands, mentally noting how easily he could see the floor just by looking through himself. He swallowed a sob and looked back at Gatomon, her glassy sapphire eyes further shattering his heart.

"I'm sorry." Wizardmon sighed. _For everything, Gatomon. I'm sorry for so many things and I can only pray that you will forgive me. _He felt a force pulling him backwards, away from Gatomon and returning to Rika. But Gatomon gasped and suddenly ran forward, desperation and sorrow in her eyes as she tried to catch up with her friend, calling his name. Wizardmon shook a little, so many emotions waging war in his chest. He felt anger, because Myotismon's cruelty and evil put him into this situation; despair, because he should've known Gatomon would react like this; sorrow, because he missed Gatomon and longed to fight by her side. And clearly, she wanted him by her side as well.

_I hate my life. _Wizardmon thought bitterly.

Wizardmon floated through the window and continued on, but Gatomon hit the solid glass and could go no further. "Wizardmon!" she cried.

"Hurry!" Wizardmon called before Gatomon disappeared from view through the fog. He stared after her, immense sadness replacing all other emotions inside him.

Rika sighed as Wizardmon returned within her. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you more time, Wizardmon. But it does take a lot of energy to bring you out as a spirit when you're so far away, especially for such an extensive amount of time and with you using so much power. I'll start practicing so it won't take so much out of me. And maybe next time I won't do it on an empty stomach." She waited for a response, but felt Wizardmon's energy change to one full of sorrow. "Wizardmon? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine….." Wizardmon sighed.

Rika sighed too. "You really miss that Gatomon character, don't you?"

Within Rika's body, Wizardmon's spirit allowed some tears to run down his cheeks. "Yes….very much so…" He took a shuddering breath and wiped his eyes dry on his sleeve. "Come on; we have to get back to the DigiWorld."

"Okay." Rika nodded. She stood up and began walking off. "Are you sure you're okay, Wizardmon?"

"I will be soon after we leave this place." Wizardmon assured. "It's just been so long since I saw Gatomon. I can't reveal to her that I'm alive. Not now, anyway…"

Rika smiled. "You're a really good friend. Gatomon's really lucky."

Wizardmon smiled softly. "Thank you, Rika." His smile disappeared. "But listen carefully. We cannot reveal ourselves to the DigiDestined. We belong—"

"In the shadows and the darkness." Rika finished. "I know. You've taught me well, Wizardmon. I will do as you ask." She paused for a moment. "But understand this: I'm only going to follow your command until I decide that I need to do what I believe is best. And you're going to have to live with that."

Wizardmon didn't answer, his face emotionless as stone.

* * *

_At first, I did feel a little angry at Rika for exposing us to the DigiDestined. I greatly feared that Gatomon would look upon me with hatred and contempt for not showing myself. Then, she looked at me with those tear-filled eyes and tackled me in a hug, and I knew at once what a big mistake I made. When did it become so necessary to stay so much in the darkness that I became blind to everyone else around me? In the time we spent with the DigiDestined, reunited with Gatomon and Kari, I slowly began to notice how they acted so much like a family. The laughter, the jokes, mixed and balanced with some turmoil and arguments. When you're a DigiDestined, you're a part of a unique little family that not many people can experience._

_Looking back, I realize now how disconnected I was from this family. Just like before I first met Gatomon, loneliness and sorrow hardened my heart and forced me to think that I needed to shield my emotions to protect the people I cared about from harm. But as I think about all those times I cut myself off and hid my emotions, now I see the hurt faces and the concerned looks. How did I not see it sooner? How could I be so blind to the love and care everyone showed towards me?_

_Kari and Tai, who gave me a new home._

_Gatomon, who stayed my friend to the very end. _

_The DigiDestined kids, old and new, who accepted me into their group._

_Rika, my own baby sister, who stood by me from day one….._

…_.the little girl that I always loved…._

_How is it I had to come so close to death to realize how much I loved Rika?_

* * *

**A/N: What's really funny about Rika's "green chili sauce" comment is that in the Japanese dub, the bottle was actually some sort of alcohol that Wizardmon told DemiDevimon he got drunk on (he lied, of course, but it was pretty funny). Also, for the scene from "Ghost of a Chance," I used a mixture of the English dub dialogue and Japanese dub dialogue. No matter how much I enjoy the English dub, I will agree that the Japanese dub has many more good points.**

**And now the flashback series is over! Stay tuned!**


	22. Country Roads

**A/N: I don't own "Country Roads" from the movie "Whisper of the Heart." I'm borrowing it here for the chapter title and for reasons you will see later in the chapter. **

* * *

**Country Roads**

The invisible forces continued to pull until Wizardmon and Rika suddenly lost their grips and they flew away from each other. The golden spheres disappeared as the human and Digimon were thrown from each other and crashed to the ground. Rika bounced and rolled a bit before she ended up in a sitting position, her back slamming against a rock. She sat there, looking unconscious. Wizardmon also took a few tumbles before hitting a rock and slumping to the ground, lying on his back and unmoving.

Gatomon gasped, running/stumbling on all fours over to her friend. "Wizardmon! Wizardmon, are you okay?"

Kari half-crawled, half-ran over to Rika. "Rika! Rika, say something!"

Arukenimon and Mummymon stared in shock. "I don't believe it! They actually split apart!" Mummymon breathed.

"That shouldn't be possible." Arukenimon murmured. "No matter. We'll destroy them anyway."

Kari turned with a glare and a growl, her eyes locking onto Arukenimon and Mummymon before flicking over to Rika's fallen sword. The DigiDestined of Light pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and scooped up Rika's sword, holding it threateningly. "It's bad enough to attack when we least expect it, but to attack us while we're already wounded is just cruel!"

"Do you really think lecturing us will stop your demise?" Arukenimon laughed. _"Spider Thread!" _

The red ropes easily smacked Kari to the ground, but the stubborn brunette pushed herself upright and readied Rika's sword again. "I don't care what it takes…." She panted a little, her arms trembling from just lifting the weight of the steel and wood in her hands. "….you won't hurt my friends…not while I'm still breathing!"

"You won't be breathing for very long." Arukenimon chuckled darkly as she and Mummymon advanced casually.

As Kari talked and mentally readied herself for a fight, Gatomon continued to try and wake her wizard friend. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook Wizardmon, praying for at least movement. But Wizardmon remained terrifyingly still. "Wizardmon! Come on, please wake up! Don't leave me, Wizardmon!"

Kari managed to slice through Mummymon's Snake Bandage attack but barely had time to jump away from the laser blasts from his gun.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me ever again!" Gatomon cried, lying her head on Wizardmon's chest and her claws digging into his vest. "Don't give up, Wizardmon! You're strong! You can fight back!"

Kari shouted in pain as Arukenimon brutally smacked her to the ground. She fought to stand, but her strength was gone.

"_Please wake up Wizardmon!" _Gatomon sobbed. _"I need you!"_

Jade green eyes shot open.

Kari groaned in pain, staring a little fearfully up at Arukenimon and Mummymon. "Prepare to die, little brat." Arukenimon laughed. "Mummymon, care to do the honors?"

"My pleasure." Mummymon raised his gun and shot the white blast.

"_Electro Squall!"_

A bolt of yellow lightning clashed with the white blast before it could come close to Kari, who flinched and covered her head as smoke flew everywhere. When the dust and smoke cleared, Gatomon bounded weakly over to Kari and smiled warmly. The feline gestured behind Kari, and the brunette turned and stared in shock.

"Rika?" she breathed. "Wizardmon?"

The DigiDestined of Darkness stood tall and proud, both human and Digimon looking a little tired but also very, _very _angry. "Did I or did I not just tell those two not to hurt my family?" Rika asked her Digimon.

"I believe you did." Wizardmon confirmed, his grip tight on his staff.

"You're alive? And you split apart?" Arukenimon gasped. "That's impossible."

"It's plenty possible." Rika assured. "Now you have one chance to run away before we force you."

"You can't make us to anything!" Mummymon boasted.

Rika sighed. "Well, they asked for it. What do you say, Wizardmon? Shall we give them a taste of Baalmon?"

"It would be my pleasure." Wizardmon nodded.

Rika smiled and pulled her Digivice from her pocket. "Okay. Let's do it! Digivolve!"

Wizardmon's form glowed in a bright golden light. His jumper and vest merged and turned white, his boots turning black. One of his sleeves extended to cover his arm, which now seemed to be fashioned into a gun. His other arm extended greatly and his cape turned white and black on the inside. His cowl also turned white, and a sort of facemask covered his face from the eyes down. His hat became a bandana, hardly able to keep his unkempt hair out of his now red eyes. His sun-topped staff became a short sword.

"_Wizardmon digivolve to….Baalmon!"_

Kari and Gatomon stared in awe. "Whoa…." Kari breathed. "So _that's _Wizardmon's Ultimate form."

"He looks cool!" Gatomon exclaimed.

Baalmon lunged forward, slashing his sword at Arukenimon and Mummymon. The two evil Digimon dodged the blow and lunged for twin attacks, but Baalmon's intense speed and ninja-like skill caused them to miss every single time. He fired laser-like bullets from his twin barrel gun, causing his opponents to almost dance around to avoid getting shot. Finally, Baalmon managed to jump up and kick Mummymon into Arukenimon and force the two of them to the ground. He stood over his fallen opponents, aiming his gun for their heads. The two evil Digimon cowered, waiting for their destruction. But Baalmon didn't move for several moments.

"You…aren't going to destroy us?" Mummymon gulped.

Baalmon scoffed. "Luckily for you, that would give me no pleasure. So I'm going to give you the chance to get out of here and leave us alone. Because if I ever find you attacking someone while they're already wounded I'm going to put holes in your skulls. Now scram."

Arukenimon and Mummymon didn't need to be told twice; they scrambled to their car, changed into their human forms, and sped away as fast as they could. Baalmon rolled his eyes and dedigivolved to Wizardmon.

Rika smiled warmly. "I see you haven't lost your touch."

"Being merged with you for four years can't ruin that." Wizardmon smirked under his cowl.

Rika laughed. Then she came forward and pulled Wizardmon into a tight hug. "Man, it's been a long time since I could do this."

Wizardmon returned the embrace with a content sigh. "Yeah. It's nice to be able to do it again."

The two of them parted and smiled at each other. Wizardmon turned and hurried over to Kari and Gatomon, Rika close behind. "You two okay?" she asked, helping Kari sit up and lean against a rock.

Kari smiled warmly. "I am now. You two finally split."

"How did you do it?" Gatomon asked, allowing Wizardmon to pick her up and cradle her in his arms.

"It was Wizardmon who did it." Rika said, looking to her Digimon partner.

Wizardmon nodded. "Because I finally admitted to myself that I really did love Rika; that I considered her my sister. For the longest time, I thought that I brought pain to the people I cared about by showing how close I held them to my heart. When in reality, it was _not _showing them how much I cared that really hurt them."

"So, you two are now living on your own?" Kari guessed. "You don't need each other's spirits or anything?"

"Our minds, spirits, and physical bodies are no longer connected." Rika confirmed. "So we won't be able to read each other's thoughts or need to worry about switching when the sun rises and sets."

"Rika's Life Flame was merged with mine for so long that it became regenerated and healthy again." Wizardmon explained. "But something or someone stopped us from splitting because of me."

"But who?" Gatomon asked.

"Who cares?" Rika shrugged. "We're split now, and that's what matters. I can stay out of the fights and Wizardmon can help out more often. I have my brother back. That's all that matters." She looked around to the still-unconscious DigiDestined. "Right now we have to worry about everyone else."

"What do we do?" Wizardmon asked. "We certainly can't take everyone home wounded like this. I could magically heal the Digimon, but my powers don't work so well on humans. I won't be able to magically heal _all _of them."

Rika pursed her lips in thought. She stood up and looked around. "Hey! You know where we are? We're near that village where MarineAngemon lives."

"Really?" Wizardmon asked, looking around. "Well that's an odd yet lucky coincidence. Maybe he can help."

"We shouldn't be too far off." Rika said. "I'll run over and grab some help. Wizardmon, you stay here and watch over them."

"Can do." Wizardmon nodded. Rika turned and took off, disappearing into the trees.

"Who's MarineAngemon?" Gatomon asked.

"A very kind Digimon with special healing powers." Wizardmon said. "He runs a hospital and should be able to help you all. Just rest for now, and we'll have you good as new in no time."

Gatomon smiled, curling up closer to Wizardmon's chest. "I'm really glad you're back, Wizardmon."

Wizardmon held Gatomon close, moving over to Kari. "And I am _very _happy to be here with you."

* * *

"I brought them!" Rika waved as she came running over to her friends. By the time she returned, the DigiDestined all woke up but still couldn't move much from their pain and tiredness. They turned to Rika as she approached and noticed an entourage of Digimon with her. A small, pink, pixie-like Digimon with a red heart on his chest and what looked like a golden collar around his neck floated by Rika's side. Several flower-like Digimon called Floramon followed close behind, joined by a herd of white, dog type Digimon with magenta ears and tails and three large claws on each foot. These dogs were called Labramon. Two extra figures stood out to T.K.

"No way." T.K. breathed. "Is it really you guys? The same ones from Shibuya?"

Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon smiled warmly as they came to T.K.'s side. "Yeah T.K. It's us." Pumpkinmon said. "We had to hide when the Digimon Emperor ruled, but we got reconfigured no problem after Myotismon…" He gulped a little, shuddering at the memory of his death. But he shook it off as T.K. pulled the two of them into a hug.

"When Rika mentioned the DigiDestined, those two hurriedly came by and asked if you were okay." MarineAngemon said. "They live in the village and led Rika to me. I understand you're all in a predicament."

"Well, as you can see, we're a little beat up." Ken said a little sheepishly. "Except for Rika and Wizardmon, it would seem."

"How are you alive?" Davis asked incredulously.

"Before Rika was hit I created a protective barrier around her." Wizardmon replied. "It shielded her from most of the blow but also greatly weakened myself."

"Wow." Chibomon breathed. "Wizardmon, you rule."

"All right, enough chit chat from all of you!" MarineAngemon scolded gently. "Rika explained to me that you need to look good as new before you go home so your parents don't ask questions and whatnot. Luckily for you, my workers and I are the perfect Digimon for the job. I don't want any of you to move or do anything at all. I will heal you with my healing powers and the Floramon will give you a nice massage. The Labramon will keep you company and play with you. A positive attitude helps forget pain, and these guys love to play fetch." In response, the Labramon all barked excitedly and wagged their tails, and the DigiDestined noticed each dog Digimon held a red rubber ball in their mouths.

"What should we do?" Gotsumon asked.

"You two stay with T.K." MarineAngemon instructed. "Keep him company."

"Great, we're Labramon." Pumpkinmon sighed.

"Please don't ask us to play fetch." Gotsumon requested to T.K., who only laughed and assured them he wouldn't.

"All right!" MarineAngemon's voice brought everyone to attention. "Rika and Wizardmon, stand aside and we'll take care of everything."

"How can we ever thank you?" Rika and Wizardmon bowed to the pixie Digimon.

"Don't think anything of it." MarineAngemon said. "But you really should stop by for tea sometime. We need to catch up."

He, the Floramon, and the Labramon quickly got to work. MarineAngemon used his Ocean Love move that encased each of his patients in a capsule of water, leaving their faces exposed to let them breathe while the magical waters did their job. When MarineAngemon finished healing, the Floramon stepped in to clean the human or Digimon's face and massage their muscles. The Labramon cuddled lovingly with the DigiDestined, licking their faces and playing fetch. Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon talked with T.K. and Patamon, eagerly asking about Matt and Gabumon and how things were in Shibuya. One by one, the DigiDestined's wounds disappeared and they looked good as new despite their lingering fatigue. But already the light began to return to their eyes and the youthful glows to their faces.

Rika walked over to Cody. "Hey Cody. I want to apologize. Earlier I hurt you and I shouldn't have. I was angry, and I chose to take it out on you."

Cody smiled softly. "It's okay, Rika. I guess I'm not giving Ken a chance to truly change. Wizardmon's right; I need to let go of my anger or we'll never win." He took Rika's hand in his. "Don't worry, Rika. I still think you're a great friend."

Rika smiled and the two of them shared a hug before the Floramon shooed Rika away to let Cody continue healing. The raven-haired girl nodded and walked off. Wizardmon smiled to Rika, who mirrored his grin as she joined him. They both sat on a couple rocks and watched as their friends steadily started looking better and better. Wizardmon's smile then changed to a small frown. "You know, I've been thinking about something."

"What's that?" Rika asked.

"What did you mean when you said your life would've had no meaning if you never met me?" Wizardmon asked.

Rika thought back to the moment she said that and shrugged. "Just what that sentence means. I really did mean it when I said my life had no meaning before I met you."

"But your life seemed so perfect." Wizardmon said.

"Yeah." Rika scoffed. "Perfect family, perfect school, perfect life. Except I didn't have very many close friends besides Ken and Sam. And I always felt like something was missing from my life. Even though I seemed to have everything I could've wanted, it was like there was a hole in my heart and I couldn't fill it." She looked to Wizardmon. "Then I found you. And my life changed forever." She smiled warmly. "I'm indebted to you, Wizardmon."

Wizardmon stared for a moment before smiling as well, and he took Rika's hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. _That smile…that beautiful smile I didn't see for so long….I thought I'd never see it again._

"Ow!"

Davis's outburst made many of them jump. "Oh do hold still, sir!" one of the Floramon scolded.

"You're crushing my muscles!" Davis whined.

"It's called a deep tissue massage!" a second Floramon snapped. "And based on how tense your shoulders feel, you need it."

"I'm not tense." Davis muttered.

"In my personal opinion, I believe we are _all _very irritable after what just happened." Hawkmon sighed.

"What happened?" asked a Floramon rubbing Armadillomon's shell.

"We kind of got our butts handed to us by a nasty Digimon called BlackWarGreymon." Patamon said.

"Oh dear." MarineAngemon murmured worriedly. "A regular WarGreymon is scary enough, but an evil one?"

"How on earth did you survive?" A Floramon gasped, rubbing Leafmon's head.

"We almost didn't." Ken admitted. "If it wasn't for Rika and Wizardmon, we probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"Yeah, great." Davis groaned. "Now we just need to wait here for BlackWarGreymon to destroy us." The Labramon he played with whined and rested his head in the boy's lap.

"Well that's not a very helpful attitude." Patamon said. "Come on guys, stay hopeful. We're the DigiDestined; we can do anything."

"It's just a little hard to stay hopeful when you're beat so badly." Ken sighed. "Sometimes encouraging words aren't enough."

"I know what to do." Rika said, pulling her violin case off her back. "We'll sing a song."

"Seriously?" Cody sighed. "I know you're trying to help, Rika, but this isn't a cartoon. We aren't going to magically become energized by singing a cute little song."

"You think so now, but just wait." Rika assured, tuning her violin. "My family used to gather together every night just to sing a song, and even if I had the worst day ever I could always count on that time of the evening to lift my spirits. So we're going to do it now."

"If you say so." Kari said a little uncertainly. "Not many of us can actually sing."

"Don't worry about it." Rika waved dismissively.

"Yeah, let's do it." Davis droned sarcastically. "After all, it's a violin. Perfect for our situation." He started mimicking the movement of playing a violin, vocalizing a sad, "Woe is Me" kind of song. He yelped in pain when Rika whacked him on the head with her violin put the bow to her instrument and began to play. Much to everyone's surprise, the notes came out brisk and bright, already sounding like a happy song. MarineAngemon, Gotsumon, Pumpkinmon, the Floramon, and the Labramon bobbed their heads and smiled, but the DigiDestined didn't seem very happy. Still, their frowns began to disappear when Rika began to sing.

"_I dreamed of living alone but fearless  
Secret longing to be courageous  
Loneliness kept bottled up inside  
Just reveal your brave face  
They'll never know you lie_

_Country road  
May lead me home  
Know I belong there  
All on my own  
Destiny calls  
Motionless I stall  
Know I can't go  
Country Road_

_No matter how dark the world's inside me  
I'll never stop to show a tear that I've shed  
But now I have to walk so fast  
Running, sprinting, to forget  
What is lodged in my head."_

Nobody would admit it out loud, but Rika maybe had a point about singing to uplift hopes. The music and the words carried to the wounded warriors and soon they began nodding in time to the tune. Gatomon began clapping the rhythm, and when Rika reached the chorus for the second time, she sang along with her. One by one, every DigiDestined human and Digimon, along with their generous healers, sang along with the raven-haired girl.

Wizardmon stayed silent. He never felt comfortable joining with the Yamada family's musicale part of their evenings. He never really sang much, and he only knew how to play the ocarina flute. He still kept the one Obāsan gave him, tucked away in his pocket and only coming out when Wizardmon found he couldn't sleep at night. Only now, his hands unconsciously moved to bring out the clay instrument. He stared at the ocarina, his heart heavy with sorrow.

"_Country road  
May lead me home  
Know I belong there  
All on my own  
Destiny calls  
Motionless I stall  
Know I can't go  
Country road."_

Rika turned to Wizardmon and, while still playing without a pause, nudged him with her shoulder. She smiled encouragingly, gesturing down to the flute in his hands. Wizardmon hesitated, not wanting to remember the terrible things that happened to him. But then he thought back to all the good experiences he had with his human family. The way they treated him like their own. Family outings, going to town or Kyoto. Spending the nights using a couch as a bed. Ever since he lost his home in Witchenly, he never knew what it was like to belong somewhere or have people to care. Gatomon was his only friend, and for a while she was a distant friend at the least.

_I still have a lot to learn about family, don't I? _Wizardmon thought.

"_Country road  
La la la la  
You're a good friend I'll never know  
Same tomorrow  
Regret and sorrow  
Can't take you home  
Country road."_

Wizardmon finally smiled softly and pulled down his cowl to put the ocarina to his lips. He began to play a soft yet fast-paced tune to match the music, everyone else clapping or tapping on rocks like drums. At the end of the song, everyone laughed and smiled, feeling much happier since what happened.

Still angry, upset, and very much disappointed over their loss, but at least a little happier than before.


	23. Opposites Attract

**Episode 31: Opposites Attract**

Rika had a skip in her step as she entered the school's computer lab the next day. The rest of the DigiDestined waited for her. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Rika." Davis waved. "Who's the weirdo with you?"

Everyone else turned to see the "weirdo" Davis referred to: a boy about Rika's height wearing jeans, black sneakers, a long-sleeved forest green turtleneck, a pair of familiar-looking brown gloves, and a navy blue bandana around his mouth and nose. His striking green eyes, grayish skin, and long blonde hair with bangs hanging in his face looked oddly familiar.

The boy reached up and pulled his bandana down, revealing a stitched-up mouth that made Davis jump in shock. "Who are you calling a weirdo?" Wizardmon demanded.

"Wow!" Yolei laughed. "Nice outfit, Wizardmon! You look like a regular human!"

"Arukenimon and Mummymon aren't the only ones who can change their appearance." Wizardmon pulled the bandana back over his mouth. "It's nothing fancy, but at least now nobody will stare. Plus, I can easily change it back into my normal clothes whenever I want and I can still Digivolve. Whenever I'm in this form you can just call me Ukito."

"Sounds good to me." T.K. nodded.

"So how are you guys?" Rika asked. "Another normal day at school?"

"Yes." Cody nodded.

"How boring." Rika shook her head. "I am so glad I don't go to school."

"Tell me about it." T.K. sighed. "We needed this like a hole in the head."

"I think that's exactly BlackWarGreymon's plan." Davis said.

Gatomon growled a little. "If he even _looks _at Kari the wrong way, I'll put a hole in _his _head. I don't care if he _is _a Mega!"

"Very courageous, but crazy." T.K. said. "Even if you could digivolve to Ultimate, which let me remind you you can't, he's too powerful."

"If the rest of you could DNA Digivolve, he'd be toast." DemiVeemon boasted.

"This coming from the guy who got his tail handed to him." Wizardmon pointed out.

"Think you could have more of an attitude, little guy?" Davis huffed towards his Digimon.

DemiVeemon laughed. "How rude." Patamon sighed. "But he's right; we're useless."

"Maybe we could practice." Poromon suggested. "But who with?"

"Yeah, who's my partner?" Upamon asked.

Gatomon put a paw to her mouth in thought. "Hmm…..good question. You're all so young and inexperienced."

"But we'll learn quick." Poromon promised.

"You'll have to." Patamon said.

"Out of all of us, Gatomon, Patamon, and I are the only ones who can better tackle such a problem." Wizardmon said. "We've each gained plenty of experience through numerous fights. Maybe you and I could be partners, Gatomon."

"Sounds great!" Gatomon agreed.

"What about me?" Patamon asked. "I wanna be your partner, Wizardmon!"

"I don't think we get a choice." Rika said.

"What do you mean?" Cody asked.

"I mean, DNA Digivolving is probably a lot more technical than we think." Rika explained. "Sure, we get the ability to combine two Digimon into a sort of hybrid that's really strong, but I don't think just any two Digimon can do it. First off, I think the two Digimon have to be in their Champion forms first. Then there must be a connection between the two Digimon and maybe even between their two human partners. Like Ken and Stingmon with Davis and ExVeemon. They share a strong bond of friendship and perhaps that's why Stingmon and ExVeemon DNA Digivolve. My theory is that the only way the rest of the Digimon can DNA Digivolve is by doing it with someone they connect with, or by their partners connecting."

"Sounds logical." T.K. nodded. "Now the question becomes how to figure out partners."

"Plus, we have an odd number of Digimon." Poromon pointed out. "ExVeemon DNA Digivolved with Stingmon, so they're partners. Now it's just me, Upamon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Wizardmon. One of us is going to be left out."

"Maybe not." Upamon said hopefully. "Maybe another DigiDestined will join us."

_Oh great. _T.K. thought with a soft smile. _It'll be like searching for the Eighth Child all over again._

"I'm sure we'll figure it out along the road." Rika shrugged. "Right now we have bigger problems. BlackWarGreymon to name one."

"I can't believe BlackWarGreymon dissed Arukenimon liked that." Yolei said. "Not that I blame him."

"I think she was as surprised as we were." Cody said. "BlackWarGreymon's a loose cannon."

_He had a chance to attack me, but he didn't. _Rika thought. _I wonder why. _"He _is _different from other Control Spire Digimon. All of Arukenimon's other creations were only mindless drones, knowing nothing except to follow orders. But BlackWarGreymon's so strong he must've developed the ability to think for himself. He has free will."

"Where do you think he's going?" Kari asked, staring out a nearby window. "I kind of feel sorry for him." Everyone turned to the brunette girl, who kept staring out the window at the horizon. "He must be very confused and lonely. She created him to be a fighting machine. That just seems really sad to me."

Rika walked over to stand beside Kari, smiling and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I think so too, Kari. It's like he doesn't want to follow Arukenimon's orders, but he also doesn't know his purpose in life." She looked down and crossed her arms. "It really is pretty sad."

"I must be going crazy." Yolei shook her head. "It sounds like to me like you're worrying about a cold-blooded monster."

Kari turned to face her friends. "Not really. I just care about him."

"That's the difference between you and Kari." Davis told Yolei. "She cares about other people."

Yolei whipped around to Davis. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Just what it sounds like!" Davis snapped.

"Hey! Hey!" T.K. called, getting their attention. "Do I have to separate you two? It's stupid to fight each other! Let's go to the Digital World and finish what we started."

"I'm in." Rika nodded. "I still owe Arukenimon and Mummymon a piece of my sword."

"Yeah, if we knock down the Control Spires, old White Hair's out of business!" Davis looked to Kari. "Kari, you're with me, aren't you?"

Kari looked a little unsure, but forced out a "Yeah….."

DemiVeemon jumped into Davis's arms. "I'm with ya, Davis!"

Wizardmon glanced over at Yolei, focusing on her thoughts so they echoed in his head.

_I hate to admit it, but Davis may be right about Kari and me. _Yolei thought. _She never puts her foot in her mouth like I do. I never know _what _she's thinking. It kind of makes me nervous._

_You're not the only one. _Wizardmon looked to Kari, but didn't read her mind. _Then again, Rika does the same thing. I've learned to get used to it. But am I doing the right thing by just letting them stay sheltered like that? I used to do that too and it only caused me and Rika a lot of trouble. I'm better at staying more open nowadays, but that's because I had Rika, Gatomon, or Kari to talk to. _Wizardmon's eyes flicked back and forth between Kari and Yolei. _Maybe that's what Kari needs; someone just a little bit different from herself._

* * *

The DigiDestined spent most of the afternoon in the DigiWorld, looking for Control Spires to destroy. Unfortunately, they only found so many in one area before the black obelisks became quite scarce. On the upside, this meant they made good progress. On the downside, it meant they could only wander around until they found more. Luckily, Yolei emailed Izzy to ask for a map that showed where to find more Control Spires, and the red-haired brainiac pointed them to a forestry area littered with them. The DigiDestined thanked Izzy, but once they reached the forest they began to get second thoughts. The trees rose high above them and the air felt tense and heavy. Moss-covered roots, trees, and rocks added a spooky feeling to the forest. Still, the kids and their Digimon began their trek to find the Control Spires. Veemon tried to tell knock-knock jokes, but when Davis told him enough he tried to tell a story about a guy who tells knock-knock jokes. It wasn't until Rika threatened to stuff the dragon Digimon's head into a hole did he finally stop talking. Yolei kept glancing over at Kari, wanting to talk to her but unable to find a way to start a conversation.

Gatomon slowed to a stop, looking around her. "This is weird…."

Wizardmon paused and looked back towards his feline friend. "Gatomon. You really should keep up. I don't like the feel of this place."

Kari stopped to and glanced at her Digimon. "What is it, Gatomon?"

Gatomon's face lit up. "This is it! I thought it looked familiar! This is where I lost my tail ring!"

At this revelation, the DigiDestined hurried over to Gatomon. "Really? Are you sure?" Kari asked.

"Positively." Gatomon said firmly. "It was awful. Ken wasn't so sweet back then, and even good Digimon like Unimon were forced to do his dirty work. I couldn't look for my ring back then, but if I had it now I'd be one tough Digi-kitty."

"That's actually very true." Wizardmon nodded. "Things like your tail ring and even my wand give us a lot more power than what we'd have on our own."

"That's it, then!" Davis declared. "We'll just have to go find it, wherever it is."

"You're the greatest!" Kari said with a smile.

Cody and Yolei cast smirks towards Davis. "Trying to score points with Kari?" Cody asked. "Looks like it actually worked this time."

"Not even Davis can strike out every time." Yolei added.

Davis's cheeks turned bright red. _"Oh yes I can!"_

Veemon elbowed his partner's leg, also smirking. "I don't think that's what you meant to say." Everyone else just giggled and chuckled at Davis's expense as the boy's entire face went a deep shade of crimson.

"Yes it is." Davis said a little weakly.

"Whatever." T.K. waved it off. "He may be confused but he happens to be right."

"That's one point for Davis." Hawkmon said.

"Two points and a cookie if you find it." Armadillomon said, referring to Gatomon's tail ring.

"Now you're talking!" Gatomon smiled. "Thanks a lot!"

"Let's get going, Kari." Davis offered.

But Kari suddenly walked past him. "I think that clearing we passed is the best bet. Come on, Yolei, Rika. Let's start there."

"Sure." Yolei nodded.

"Yeah let's go!" Rika agreed. Their Digimon followed close behind them.

"Wish we could've seen the look on Davis's face when Kari brushed past him." Gatomon said.

"I think his thoughts are a little more amusing." Wizardmon said, causing everyone to laugh. They made it to the clearing Kari referred to and spread out to search. The six of them picked up rocks, peered into logs, sifted through moss and grass, and Wizardmon and Hawkmon even checked the trees, but not a speck of gold shone through the green and grays.

"This may be harder than we thought." Yolei said. "After all, it couldn't have been a very large ring. Hey Wizardmon, you think you can trace it with your energy powers?"

"First off, I'm what's known as an aura reader." Wizardmon said. "It's not a superpower I was born with; I developed it through extensive training and research. Secondly, what we're looking for is an inanimate object, ergo it wouldn't give off an aura to trace. And thirdly, I am _not _just a walking talking aura detector."

Yolei rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry. I guess I'm not used to you being, you know, out and about and not a ghost."

"It's something we'll all have to get used to." Rika shrugged. "I won't be able to read his thoughts anymore, and that used to be the source of a lot of my jabs at him."

Wizardmon cast his human partner a pointed look. "Be careful, Rika. I can still read minds and there are _plenty _of things I could tell the others about your crush on—"

"Subject change!" Rika suddenly shouted, her face flushing. Everyone else just laughed and continued searching.

Wizardmon climbed higher into the tree he investigated, but he couldn't stay fully focused. _I wonder if I should tell them that I can sense Ken and Wormmon not too far from here. But I have to wonder if Yolei still doesn't trust him. Then again, all I can get from reading her thoughts is how she's so different from Kari and she wishes she knew more about her, blah, blah, bl—_

"_AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

The sudden shout made Wizardmon jump and if he didn't have the ability to fly he would've fallen right out of the tree. "What was that?"

"That's Ken!" Kari realized. "He's in trouble!" She took off running into the forest.

"Kari, wait!" Wizardmon called, flying after the brunette.

"I hate it when she does that!" Gatomon groaned as she, Hawkmon, Yolei, and Rika followed their friends. "Wait for me!"

"Kari! Wizardmon!" Rika called. "Slow down!"

"Where are you going?" Yolei asked.

"Didn't you hear him scream just now?" Kari panted. "It's Ken! Something's wrong with him!"

"Ken?" Yolei blinked in confusion.

"He's up there!" Wizardmon called, flying ahead and landing beside the raven-haired boy currently kneeling on the ground and holding his head as though in pain. "Ken! Ken, snap out of it!"

Kari approached next, kneeling in front of Ken. "Don't worry, Ken. We're here now; it'll be okay." His moans and whimpers broke Kari's heart, but she stayed calm so as to not cause further distress.

"What happened?" Yolei asked, looking around. "Were you attacked? I don't see anything."

"Was it BlackWarGreymon?" Rika asked.

"The ocean….." Ken moaned.

"He's finally cracked!" Yolei breathed.

"It was the Dark Ocean!" Ken still clutched his head like it would explode any second now. "It's horrible!"

Wizardmon's eyes widened a little. "Ken, that's not possible. It's in your head; a hallucination. It could very well be something in this forest that's causing you to go crazy. You have to calm down. There's no Dark Ocean here."

Kari gasped. "The Dark Ocean? Could it be…..?"

"Maybe it's contagious." Yolei looked around again. "I can't see a thing. How about you, Hawkmon?"

Ken finally seemed to calm down and stood up. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"No you're not." Yolei scoffed. "You're clearly seeing things. The Dark Ocean."

Kari stood and helped support Ken as they walked. "I think I know how you're feeling." She told Ken.

"Maybe we should just play along, Hawkmon." Yolei suggested.

"Do you think he fell on his head?" Hawkmon said. "I did that once and thought I was a fruit bat."

Wizardmon paused, feeling as though snakes crept up his spine. But he shook it off and jogged to keep up with the others. "You all right, Wizardmon?" Wormmon asked. "We really can't have _two _people getting worked up about nothing."

"I thought I felt something." Wizardmon said. "Like we just passed through some sort of barrier. But I didn't see anything."

"I think you're just a little jumpy from this forest." Gatomon said. "You did say you got a bad feeling from it."

Wizardmon nodded slowly. "I guess so."

"Yeesh, this is just too weird." Yolei said. "Wizardmon feeling all foreboding and talking about this Dark Ocean—"

"We will not discuss that place any further." Wizardmon snapped, a harsh glare settling in his eyes.

"Why not?" Hawkmon asked. "What _is _the Dark Ocean?"

"The Dark Ocean is a sort of sub-world, a second dimension, to the Digital World." Wizardmon said, his tone filled with irritation and a little anger. "It's where evil Digimon that are too dangerous to be reconfigured go to suffer like they deserve."

"Well that's not very nice." Yolei said. "Even evil Digimon are living creatures."

"I mean evil Digimon like the _really _cruel and despicable ones." Wizardmon said. _Like Myotismon; he should've gone there. _"The ones that throw the DigiWorld out of balance but can't be easily killed. So they're banished to the Dark Ocean to learn the full weight of the pain they cause."

"So why did Kari and apparently Ken go there?" Gatomon asked.

"They didn't." Wizardmon half-growled.

"But Wizardmon, it's true." Kari said. "I—"

"It's _not _true." Wizardmon insisted, his voice still full of anger. "Only the evilest, most despicable Digimon go to that place and you and Ken are some of the kindest people I know. You didn't go to the Dark Ocean; you just had a bad dream or something."

Ken opened his mouth to argue, but Kari squeezed his hand and shook her head small. She could tell by the look in Wizardmon's eyes that he _did not _want to discuss the matter. Kari could sense something more to Wizardmon's affirmation that they didn't go to the Dark Ocean; as though the very thought of her and Ken going to such a place greatly terrified the wizard Digimon. So the group continued to walk in silence. Soon, Ken could walk on his own. But after several minutes that felt like hours, the group of DigiDestined realized nothing looked familiar to them. They paused, looking all around but not seeing any landmarks to point them in the right direction. Their recent trail of footprints seemed almost nonexistent.

"These trees are all beginning to look the same." Kari said. "Tall and really, really dark."

"Do you think we've been chasing our tail this whole time?" Gatomon asked worriedly.

"You mean we've been going in circles?" Yolei started panicking. "You think we're lost? Is that it? Forever and ever till we die?"

"Yolei, calm down." Rika soothed. "I'm sure we won't be lost until we die."

"But we're still lost!" Yolei gasped in surprise, then her face broke into smiles. "It's Davis!"

"We're saved!" Hawkmon cheered.

"But did it have to be Davis?" Rika sighed. "It couldn't be T.K.?"

Yolei raised her hand high above her head and waved. "Over here!"

"Veemon! Excellent timing!" Hawkmon called. The brunette boy and his Digimon paused, then turned and began to run towards them. Yolei and Hawkmon darted over to meet them halfway, the others soon following.

"Davis!" Kari called happily. "T.K.!"

"It's about time!" Rika laughed.

Yolei slowed down to stop, but Davis didn't even hesitate as he suddenly walked right through her. She gasped and turned, very confused a little freaked out over what just happened.

"Veemon!" Hawkmon called, landing in front of the blue dragon Digimon. But he, too, passed right through the bird and thoroughly startled him. "I feel faint…."

"What's going on?" Rika asked no one in particular.

_I knew it. _Wizardmon thought. _We've crossed over into some sort of spirit dimension or something._

"I'm confused." Yolei whimpered.

Davis and Veemon stopped in the middle of the group. "I was sure I heard a voice over here." Davis said. "Do you think maybe there are ghosts, Veemon?"

"Davis!" Kari raised her voice. "We're right here!"

"Nah," Veemon answered Davis's question. "I don't believe in 'em." The two of them took off running again, calling for their friends.

"Where are you going?" Ken called after them.

"Davis!" Rika shouted. "Veemon!"

"That's strange." Kari said. "If we can see him, why can't he see us? It doesn't make any sense."

"What now?" Yolei asked with a gulp.

"Maybe we should go back the way we came." Wizardmon suggested. "I knew I felt something while we walked, some sort of barrier. If we walk back through it maybe we'll become solid again."

"But which way did we come from?" Rika asked. "Gatomon may be right; we've been going in circles this entire time."

"Then we'll keep walking until we find a way out." Kari decided. "The forest doesn't go on forever and if we find a way out of the forest we'll find a way out of here."

"How can you be sure?" Yolei asked.

"I'm not." Kari admitted. But she started walking anyway, forcing everyone else to jog a bit to keep up. As they trekked through the woods, the roots and moss seemed to become more and more frequent. A couple of them tripped as they climbed over the large tree roots. The sky looked gray instead of blue, but none of them could make out any clouds. To make matters worse, fog began rolling in from who-knows-where.

"I don't like the way this fog keeps getting thicker." Ken murmured, the first sound made after several minutes of silent walking. No one else said a word, their minds on other things. Yolei stared at Ken, Kari, and Rika, all of them walking in front of her. The silence soon became too much for her to bear, so she tried to strike up a conversation.

"Hey! I know. Let's sing a song." She suggested.

"Not the best idea." Rika said.

"Weren't _you _the one who said singing can uplift spirits?" Yolei asked.

"Yes, but right now we don't really need our spirits uplifted." Rika said. "Besides, we don't want to attract attention to ourselves in case there are wild Digimon out here."

Yolei gulped a little, but put on a smile. "Okay, so you don't like that plan. Why don't we play a game?" Nobody answered. "How about this? We can play my favorite game: Telephone! Oh, I forgot, there are only four of us. I guess that would be pretty boring." She laughed lightly, nervousness and awkwardness settling in her tone.

"How are we going to find our way home if we don't even know where we are?" Ken asked the open air. "It's hopeless."

Kari turned to him with a smile. "Nothing is ever hopeless, Ken. You of all people should know that. There are too many people who want us back, and we want to go back too much to be stuck here forever."

"Yeah, Ken." Rika agreed. "Our situation could be worse than it is now. I'm not sure _how _it could be worse, but it could be."

Yolei suddenly frowned. "Why won't you talk to me?!"

The girl's sharp tone made everyone paused and turn to her. "What?" Kari asked.

"Do you three want to be alone or something?" Yolei demanded. "You could just say so instead of ignoring me like this."

"We're not ignoring you." Kari said innocently.

"Yes you are." Yolei stomped angrily past the other preteens, Hawkmon close behind her.

"Come back, Yolei!" Kari called.

"Um, Yolei?" Ken called timidly.

"Let her go." Rika said as they continued walking. "She seriously needs to cool off."

"Rika, it's not a good idea for us to separate while we're in this creepy forest." Wizardmon said. "Even with Hawkmon, I don't trust myself to leave Yolei alone, let alone anyone else."

"I'm sure Yolei will calm down soon enough." Kari said. "She may be rash and a little unpredictable, but that's why Hawkmon is there; he's always level-headed, so he looks out for her and makes sure she doesn't make the same mistakes."

"Opposites attract, I guess." Wormmon said.

"Kari! Gatomon!" Yolei's voice sounded through the trees. "I think we found it!"

They quickened their pace to join Yolei and Hawkmon on the edge of a small canyon several feet away from the tree line. "My tail ring?" Gatomon asked happily.

"Really?" Kari asked. They all looked over the rocky edge, following Yolei's point to something sparkling in the darkness.

"See? Right down there." Yolei beamed with pride.

"What do you think, Gatomon?" Kari asked.

"I can't tell from here." Gatomon said, staring intently at the shining object.

_I know I've seen this before, but where? _Ken wondered. _There are too many gaps in my memory. Why can I only remember the awful things and not the things that would help someone? It almost feels like it's on purpose._

Wormmon stared worriedly at Ken. _He has that look again._

_None of this feels right. _Wizardmon thought, staring at Ken. _If it's bothering Ken like this then it must be more serious than I thought. We need to get out of here._

"How can we be sure it's the tail ring?" Rika asked. "It's so dark, I can't see a thing."

"There's only one way to find out." Yolei turned and lowered her legs down the cliff face.

"Oh, Yolei!" Hawkmon whimpered. "I beg of you! Don't!"

"You worry too much." Yolei said dismissively.

"Of course he's worried." Kari reasoned. "It's too risky."

"Let me or Hawkmon fly down and check it out." Wizardmon offered. "You belong on solid ground."

"It's the least I can do after—" Yolei yelped as a rock under her foot jerked loose and she began to fall. Kari quickly knelt down and grabbed Yolei's wrist, saving her.

Hawkmon put a wing to his chest with a groan. "I wish you wouldn't do this sort of thing!"

Yolei smiled nervously. "Well, at this exact moment, so do I!"

"Don't worry, I have you!" Kari assured, keeping a tight grip on her friend's arm.

"Wizardmon, you better go get her." Rika said. The Majin nodded and prepared to float down and lift the purple-haired girl. Ken moved to help Kari when the brunette suddenly gasped deeply, her irises and pupils constricting to almost nothing. Ken and Wizardmon had the exact same reaction. Unseen to everyone but the three of them, waves of black waters appeared out of nowhere and crashed against the rocks at the bottom of the canyon. The three of them screamed in terror; Ken gripped his head as though in pain, as did Wizardmon as the Digimon fell to his knees and dropped his staff; Kari suddenly lost her footing and she tumbled over the edge with Yolei in tow. Not wasting a minute, Hawkmon and Gatomon leaped down after their human partners. Wormmon stared at Ken, shocked and worried over such a violent and spontaneous action. Rika knelt beside Wizardmon, shaking his shoulders.

"Yolei!"

"Kari!"

"Ken!"

"Wizardmon!"

Ken let out another agonized scream, the sound actually scaring Rika a little. She never imagined such a sound could come from Ken's or _anyone's _mouth. But her focus remained on Wizardmon, who gripped his skull as though it would split open any second now. He whimpered pitifully, wincing as though someone struck him repeatedly.

"Wizardmon!" Rika shook her Digimon so hard his hat fell off his head. "Hey! Snap out of it!" She turned to Ken, looking back and forth between the raven-haired boy and her Digimon partner. "What the heck is going on?"

"You're guess is as good as mine." Wormmon gulped. "He hasn't had such a terrible reaction in so long."

"He's gone through this before?" Rika's eyes widened behind her glasses.

In a matter of nanoseconds, Ken and Wizardmon seemed to recover from their episodes. Wizardmon put his hat back on his head and took up his staff, standing with a tired sigh. "I am sorry if I startled you." He said with a bowed head to hide his eyes.

"Me too." Ken said. "But we're fine now. Right Wizardmon?"

"Yes." Wizardmon said.

Rika stood between the boy and the Digimon, her face settling into a frown. Then, much to the amusement of Wormmon and surprise of Ken and Wizardmon, Rika reached up and took one of their ears in each hand, pinching them and pulling them down. Ken and Wizardmon yelped in pain and started demanding release, only for Rika to twist their ears and make them go silent.

"You know we each only have two of these, right?" Wizardmon snapped.

"Listen up, you two." Rika said, sounding like a mother scolding her children. "I don't know _what _is making you do such a thing, but you better start talking or so help me I'll throw you over the edge of this cliff!"

"What on earth makes you think we'd tell you anything?" Ken demanded.

"Did I or did I not say I would throw you over a cliff edge?" Rika snapped.

"Come on, let go!" Wizardmon tried to wrench his ear free but Rika's grip stayed tight. "You have no idea how much this hurts!"

"Um, guys?"

The four of them looked to see Gatomon and Hawkmon staring at them from the cliff edge. "What…..are you doing?" Hawkmon asked slowly.

"These two are being stubborn again." Rika huffed, finally releasing her captives who immediately took a few steps away from the girl. "How are Yolei and Kari?"

"Fine." Gatomon said. "But we should hurry and get them up here."

"Why aren't you digivolving?" Rika asked Hawkmon.

"It would seem I am currently unable to." Hawkmon said.

"Hmm, that's weird." Rika said. "Well, we'll just grab some vines and toss them down." She and Hawkmon ran to grab some vines from the trees and they all lowered the makeshift ropes to the ledge Yolei and Kari landed on.

"Hello below!" Hawkmon called into the canyon. "Rescue is at hand!"

"Going up!" Gatomon added. Yolei and Kari grabbed the vines and everyone else pulled the girls up to them, where the previously fallen DigiDestined sat and took a few deep breaths.

"I'm glad that's over." Yolei sighed.

"You really need to be a little more cautious." Rika scolded gently.

"You're one to talk." Wizardmon huffed, rubbing his still-sore ear.

"Um…" Ken piped up, unfortunately drawing more attention to him than he wanted.

"Ken?" Yolei asked, as though permitting him to go on.

"I'm sorry, Yolei." Ken said. "I wasn't able to help you."

"That's okay, Ken." Yolei assured. "I know you were afraid. It would've been silly for you to fall down with us. You were so freaked out you probably wouldn't have done any good anyway."

Ken's face seemed to fall even more, looking a little glummer. "Oh here we go." Rika muttered under her breath.

"Oh, right! I forgot!" Yolei babbled on. "You were the Digimon Emperor. You were brave back then. What happened?"

"Hey Yolei!" Kari spoke up. "Stop!"

"You're babbling again." Rika droned.

"Oops." Yolei said sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I guess you don't really want to be reminded of that. I wouldn't. Hey! Guess what we found down there. You'll think this is funny: it wasn't Gatomon's tail ring at all, it was one of your Dark Rings! Okay, that's not funny. But I didn't mean funny 'ha ha' I meant funny ironic funny. Don't get me wrong. Even though _you _made them I'm not blaming you."

"I think I know a silence spell that would work well on her." Wizardmon whispered to Hawkmon.

"Oh stop it." Hawkmon elbowed the wizard Digimon.

Kari suddenly started giggling. Yolei turned to Kari with a bit of a frown. "What are you laughing at, Kari? This is serious." Kari kept giggling, and Yolei sighed. "I'm just making it worse, huh?"

The entire time, Ken just stared blankly at Yolei and Kari, but his lips started showing the slightest hints of a smile. Wizardmon started smiling too, until he felt something that made him seize up. _No…..it can't be…it just can't be! _Kari gasped deeply, standing as though in a trance.

"Kari, what's wrong?" Gatomon asked.

"The waves." Kari said. "I can hear the waves."

"I hear them too." Wizardmon breathed. "It shouldn't be possible."

"Kari?" Yolei asked, staring worriedly at the brunette. Suddenly, Kari and Wizardmon took off in one direction and left their friends in the dust once more.

"Oh no!" Gatomon groaned. "Not again!"

Kari and Wizardmon ran as fast as their legs could carry them, through the trees and towards the sound of the waves beating on sand and rocks. They panted a little heavily, but the adrenaline and fear forced them to go faster.

"Wizardmon….." Kari panted. "Is there another way….to get to the Dark Ocean…without being evil?"

"You could voluntarily go." Wizardmon replied. "Not that anyone would want to. But it can't be. There's no way we—" His eyes widened as he and Kari suddenly skidded to a halt, staring out over a cliff at an ocean of black waters, looking more like a negative photograph than a real world. Wizardmon trembled a little, feeling as though a semi-truck crushed his chest. "No…no, it can't be…..it's not possible…"

"Oh I knew it." Kari moaned. "Is this darkness inside of me? Inside of Ken? Is that why we can't get away from it? I wish I were stronger. Or knew what it wanted."

Wizardmon suddenly grabbed Kari's shoulders and turned her so they stared into each other's eyes. "Kari, there is _no darkness_, not a single speck of it, inside of you. You're kind, and gentle, and full of love and light. Darkness can't affect you like it does me because you can fight it! If you can't fight it…..if you can't fight it….." His hands fell from Kari's shoulders, and the brunette noticed the Majin's eyes fill with fear and desperation. "…..you can't give up, Kari…..please don't give up…."

Kari stared at the Digimon before her. "Wizardmon…."

Rika, Wormmon, Ken, Gatomon, Yolei, and Hawkmon finally caught up with their companions and joined them at the cliff edge.

"Don't scare me like that, Kari!" Gatomon requested, looking overwhelmed with worry.

"It really is the Dark Ocean." Ken said solemnly. Everyone stared out at the black waters laid out before them, shocked by the reality of the Dark Ocean Ken, Kari, and Wizardmon kept talking about.

"Whoa." Rika breathed. _It's giving off the same feeling as that reactor in Ken's base. I feel regenerated, like the darkness of this place gives me energy. But why? Why does darkness make me stronger when it seems to bring down everyone else?_

Yolei and Hawkmon, however, saw nothing but a sea of trees. The purple-haired girl looked around. "Ocean? What are you talking about? All I see are a bunch of trees."

"It is indeed an ocean of trees, but I don't think that's what they mean." Hawkmon said.

"I almost lost Kari once before to this stupid ocean." Gatomon half-growled. "I wish I knew what it wants with her."

"_You've _been here too?" Wizardmon groaned. "Tell me you're joking."

"Kari, you've been here, seen this before?" Ken asked. "I didn't know anyone but me had ever been here."

"Wizardmon, what is this place?" Gatomon asked. "Why does it want Kari and Ken and you?"

"Kari sees it. And now Ken and Rika too." Yolei groaned in frustration. "I don't understand why I can't see anything!"

Suddenly, the forest Yolei and Hawkmon once stared at dissolved to reveal the Dark Ocean, much to their shock. "Yolei, what have you done?" Hawkmon breathed.

"Hey, since when did we start standing on the beach?" Rika asked, causing everyone to look down and see sand at their feet instead of rocks.

"Something doesn't feel right here." Ken said. "It's as if the world has slipped out of place."

"I wonder if it's because the powers guarding the Digital World are losing their grip." Yolei said.

"Huh?" Ken turned to Yolei.

"I was just thinking about something Izzy told us once." Yolei clarified.

"This could be important." Ken said. "What powers was he talking about?"

Kari suddenly fell to her knees, clutching her head. She started crying and whimpering. "I wanna go home!"

"You have to fight it, Kari!" Gatomon pleaded. "Don't give in! I need you!"

"Please fight it, Kari!" Wizardmon chimed in.

"Don't worry, Kari." Yolei said reassuringly. "We'll be home soon. Remember? You said so yourself."

Suddenly, Wizardmon fell to his knees, clutching his chest where his heart laid underneath the skin. "The darkness….it's getting worse…."

"Don't you start now, Wizardmon!" Gatomon called. "We need to stay strong!"

"Just do some meditating, Wizardmon." Rika instructed, moving to kneel in front of Kari. "That always helps you when this happens. I'll try and take some of Kari's darkness away."

Kari looked up in surprise. "You can do that?"

"Sure." Rika nodded with a smile. "I can take away the pain and the darkness and we can all think a little more clearly."

"Why can't you do that to Wizardmon?" Hawkmon asked.

"For some reason, I can't. It's like ingrained within his very soul." Rika said, sounding a little irritated by the fact (and for good reason). She reached her hands up and put one palm on Kari's head and the other hand over the brunette's heart. "Believe me, I tried once before. It didn't end well."

"What happened?" Gatomon asked.

Rika closed her eyes in concentration, but suddenly bursts of black electricity sparked all around her body and she made a strange buzzing sound with her teeth as she became electrocuted. A strong force launched her backwards and she landed in the waters of the Dark Ocean with a large _SPLASH!_

"Um…..I think _that's _what happened." Wormmon said.

"Sorry I asked." Gatomon said.

"Rika!" Ken shouted. "Get out of there!"

Wizardmon seemed to come to his senses at the sight of Rika in potential danger. "I'm coming Rika!" He stood up and ran towards her, but once his feet hit the shallows of the ocean he froze in the spot. His pupils and irises constricted as his eyes locked with the waters lapping at his ankles.

* * *

"_Before I crush you, I'll give you the pleasure of watching me destroy your wizard friend first! _Grisly Wing!_"_

_If there was one thing he hated more than that vampire, it was that vampire's stupid bats. They lifted him high into the air, biting and scratching him repeatedly before suddenly dropping him into the frigid waters of the harbor. Still weakened from fighting Myotismon, he couldn't fly and save himself. He hardly felt his staff fall from his grip as he thrashed around, trying to surface but unable to do it. He shouted for Gatomon, but water entered his mouth and his head slipped beneath the waves. The chill of the water paralyzed his muscles and he soon found he couldn't move at all. Bubbles filled with precious air floated from his mouth and to the surface as he sank deeper…deeper…deeper….._

* * *

Rika stepped up to her friends, wringing out her hair. "I'm okay. Just soaking wet." She glanced at Wizardmon. "Hey, what's wrong now?"

Before Wizardmon could answer, strange voices rang out in the air. The eerie voices mixed with some sort of strange growls, and the Digimon in the group immediately moved in front of the children to protect them from whatever came. At first, nothing came forward to reveal itself. Then, the air seemed to ripple and a bright blue eye appeared.

"I think Big Brother is watching us." Gatomon gulped. Then, light and color spread from the eye to reveal a huge sunflower with a large mouth and four vines extending from its body, each one with a set of chompers.

"Or at least his corsage!" Hawkmon corrected.

"That's Blossomon, an Ultimate Digimon." Ken said. "Her Spiral Flower attack is a good excuse for weed killer and her children are worse than thorns!"

Gatomon looked past Blossomon and gasped. "Hey! Behind her! There's a hole in space! I can see right through it!"

"It's a way out of here!" Rika realized. "And the only thing in our way is an overgrown weed."

"I believe that's my cue." Hawkmon told Yolei.

"About time." Yolei took out her D3. "You'll have no trouble Digivolving now."

Ken took out his D3, looking to Wormmon. "Are you ready?"

"Let me at her." Wormmon said.

"_Hawkmon digivolve to…Aquilamon!"_

"_Wormmon digivolve to….Stingmon!"_

"Is it okay?" Gatomon asked Kari.

Kari smiled small and took out her D3. Rika turned to Wizardmon. "You too, Wizardmon. Time to Digivolve."

"Okay." Wizardmon nodded.

Stingmon and Aquilamon approached Blossomon, ready to attack, when the evil flower let out a high-pitched roar. Kari's pupils and irises constricted yet again, as did Wizardmon's, and the two of them began shouting in terror again while holding their heads.

"Kari!" Gatomon cried, her heart breaking at the sound of Kari's whimpers.

"This is not a good time!" Yolei groaned.

Blossomon sent her children after her attackers, but Stingmon and Aquilamon easily dodged them. Aquilamon threw a Blast Ring attack, but even though it caused an explosion of smoke and dust it only seemed to make Blossomon angrier.

"Not again!" Kari screamed, her eyes squeezed shut. "Don't take me!"

Rika knelt down and put her hands on Wizardmon's shoulders, shaking him. "Wizardmon! Fight back! We need you to focus!"

"I can't….." Wizardmon whimpered. "The darkness…it keeps growing…I can't fight it!"

Rika glared hard, shoving Wizardmon to the ground. "Fine! I'll do it myself!" She drew her sword and charged into battle, slashing at Blossomon's vines in hopes of leaving a blow. But the flower Digimon easily tossed Aquilamon and Stingmon to the ground and smacked Rika aside. The black-clothed girl hit the sand like a meteor to the ground, leaving a shallow ditch where she skid. She sat up and looked to Wizardmon beside her, still shaking and almost writhing in pain.

"Wizardmon, you have to fight back!" Rika ordered. "Whatever this darkness is, it can't control you!"

"But it does." Wizardmon's tone came out as heart-rending as before. "It's always controlled me. I can't fight it; I never could. I'll always be a slave, nothing can change that." Rika's eyes widened at the sight of tears in Wizardmon's eyes, dripping down to the sand. She didn't witness Wizardmon cry very often.

"Wizardmon, you're not making sense." Rika said, sounding more worried now.

"I'm a pathetic creature that doesn't deserve to exist." Wizardmon continued to shake. "I'm weak, and unworthy. I don't deserve to be a DigiDestined and I don't deserve to have friends like Gatomon or Kari. I don't deserve to be your Digimon, Rika. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

Rika's eyes widened even further. "Wizardmon! You're dedigivolving!"

Wizardmon hardly paid any attention as he morphed and changed until he shrunk down to a purple creature with a white face, red gloves and bandana, a yellow spot with an evil smiley face on his chest and stomach, and the same green eyes Wizardmon had. "I'm not worthy…I'm a pathetic weakling….." he continued to whimper.

"Wizard—I mean, Impmon!" Rika cried, taking the imp Digimon into her arms. "Impmon, stop dedigivolving! You're not worthless! You're worth more to me than anything in the world." Impmon didn't respond, still whimpering and shaking. Rika felt completely at a loss, not sure how she could help her Digimon but desperate to do _something. _She looked over to Kari to see the brunette fared no better.

"I just don't think I can stand it this time." Kari sobbed, still clutching her head.

Yolei shook Kari's shoulders. "Kari, snap out of it!"

"You have to fight!" Gatomon pleaded.

"Kari, you have to talk to me or I can't help!" Yolei half-ordered, half-pleaded.

Kari kept sobbing. "The darkness won't leave me alone! I'll never be strong enough! It's going to win!"

_Is this because of me? _Rika wondered, staring in shock at Kari. _Do I cause my friends this pain by being a DigiDestined of Darkness?_

Then, Yolei frowned and swung her open hand around, slapping Kari across her cheek. The force seemed to shock Kari into her senses but she also didn't move for a while. The action thoroughly surprised Gatomon, Ken, and Rika. Yolei continued to frown at Kari. "That's enough of that nonsense! Of course you're strong enough! You're the strongest person I've ever known! And if you think I'm going to sit by and let you run on yourself like that, you can think again!" Kari turned to lock eyes with Yolei, and the purple-haired girl took Kari's hands in hers. "We'll fight it together, Kari. The darkness will _never _beat you. Do you hear me?"

Kari stared at Yolei for a long moment, but Gatomon could tell by looking into Kari's eyes that she _did _hear Yolei. "Yolei, thank you." Kari said, smiling softly. "You're a true friend."

Seconds after Kari's statement, a bright beam of pink light floated down to surround Yolei, Kari, and Gatomon. Everyone else stared in awe, even Blossomon.

"What is that?" Rika sighed in awe.

"It's beautiful." Kari breathed.

"Just like you." Yolei said. "I forgot; yours is the Crest of Light. You have the power to light up the darkness. It doesn't have a chance."

"You're the worst enemy of darkness." Gatomon said.

Rika seized up, holding Impmon closer to her. _Light…is the worst enemy of Darkness….it will always win against Darkness….. _She stared at Kari. _Oh Kari. What does this mean?_

Yolei and Kari exchanged looks, and Kari finally gave a genuine smile. "Yeah." Suddenly, Kari's and Yolei's D3s began to glow, as did Gatomon and Aquilamon. A newfound energy sprung between the two Digimon, and their human partners suddenly felt as though a thousand cable wires connected their minds, hearts, and souls.

_So this is what it feels like…_ Yolei thought.

_To have the connection that comes with DNA Digivolving… _Kari thought.

Gatomon's and Aquilamon's forms turned into silhouettes of light that shot into the air and began combining.

"_Aquilamon…..Gatomon….DNA Digivolve to…..Silphymon!"_

The Digimon hybrid of Aquilamon and Gatomon turned out to be a humanoid with the perfect combination of the two Digimon. The bottom half looked like Aquilamon's legs, and while the top held some bird-like figure it was white with red markings and a silver chest plate, belt, and shoulder pads. The human Digimon's eyes were covered by a piece of silver and red metal, similar to Angewomon's helmet, and a thick bush of red hair sprouted from its head with a pair of white and purple ears just like Gatomon's stuck out.

"It has Gatomon's grace." Kari noted.

"And Aquilamon's strength." Yolei added.

Ken stared at Silphymon. "That overgrown daisy's history."

Rika allowed a small smile to appear on her face. "They're going to make a great team."

Silphymon approached Blossomon bravely, not even flinching when the flower Digimon roared again. "Let's send this Control Spire Digimon back to the spider in a dust pan!" Gatomon said excitedly.

"I like the way you think, Gatomon!" Aquilamon agreed.

Blossomon sent her vined children forward, but Silphymon twirled around with its hands glowing in a pink-red glow, forming a ball of energy in its palms. _"Static Force!" _The sphere of energy shot forward, obliterating Blossomon's children before hitting the plant Digimon herself. In a great eruption of light and power, the Control Spire Digimon burst into dust and then nothingness. As the light died down, the color returned to the world around them, and the sand and ocean returned to rocky ground and lots of trees.

"Wow." Kari breathed.

"Double wow!" Yolei laughed.

The two girls shared looks, both thinking the same thing. _You know, she's pretty cool._

"Hey, we're back!" Rika realized. Everyone blinked in surprise as Silphymon began to glow, and suddenly the hybrid dedigivolved to reveal Salamon and a small, pink, featherless bird Digimon.

"Salamon!" Kari beamed with pride.

"I'm Pururumon now, Yolei." The baby bird Digimon said.

"You can be whoever you want!" Yolei laughed, scooping up her Digimon and hugging him. Kari did the same with hers.

"Well it looks like the two of you are DNA Digivolving partners." Ken said as he and Wormmon approached them. He looked over to Rika and his eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Hey Rika. Who's that in your arms?"

Rika looked down to the purple Digimon she held. "Oh, this is Impmon, Wizardmon's Rookie form."

Impmon seemed to be sleeping when his eyes opened. "Hey Ken."

"You look kind of cute as a Rookie." Salamon giggled. Impmon's cheeks flushed and he tried to sink deeper into Rika's arms as though to hide himself. Everyone laughed good-heartedly.

"Hey Kari! Yolei! Rika!"

They all turned at T.K.'s voice to find him, Davis, Cody, and their Digimon running up to them. "Hey guys!" Yolei waved. "It's about time you showed up!"

"They can see us." Kari sighed in relief. "Which means we're really back."

"Hey, what happened to you guys?" Cody asked. "Yolei, Kari, you two are a mess."

Yolei and Kari looked down to find themselves still very filthy from their fall over a cliff. But they laughed it off and explained what happened. Everything from finding Ken to their fight with Blossomon they recounted to their friends.

"Silphymon?" Cody breathed.

"Rats." Davis grumbled. "I guess that means Yolei is Kari's DNA Digivolve partner. Too bad, T.O.!"

"You're all together now. Time for me to go." Ken said, turning and walking away with Wormmon at his feet.

"Ken!" Yolei called, but the raven-haired boy kept walking. _There's a lot more to Ken than a pretty face. And Kari too. They fight enemies I've never even seen! _Yolei turned to the others with a smile. "Ready to go?" Her eyes locked on Kari and her smile grew. _She won't fight them alone anymore. Not if I can help it._

Kari looked up at T.K. approached. "I thought I really lost you this time. I was afraid you slipped into the other world for good."

Kari smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry, T.K. I have a feeling I won't be fighting it alone anymore." She glanced over at Yolei, still smiling. "Yolei won't let me."

Rika looked back and forth between Kari and Yolei before her gaze widened to see the DigiDestined as a whole. _They're such a great group of friends. So close knit and loyal to one another. _Her eyes traveled up to Impmon, who some time ago decided he preferred to ride on her shoulders instead of in her arms. _I wonder….if I could ever gain a connection like that with them._

* * *

"Hey Kari?" Rika piped up almost nervously.

"Yes?" Kari replied.

"Can Impmon sleep in your bed with you and Salamon?" Rika requested. "I'm going to spend the night in the closet tonight."

"Not a problem." Kari assured, jerking her head towards her bunk bed. "If you take a look, they've already gotten comfortable. I'd hate to move them."

Rika tiptoed over to the bed and peered over the edge, smiling at the sight of Impmon out cold and sleeping peacefully with Salamon curled up beside him. They sure did look comfortable, so Rika snuck away to let them sleep. "Every time I see Wizardmon and Gatomon together I can't help but think about how lucky he is to have her for a friend."

"Well Wizardmon's a great friend." Kari said, turning in her desk chair to face Rika. "I didn't get the chance to really know him when we first met, so for him to return and give Gatomon and me the chance to talk is so great."

Rika smiled softly. "Yeah. You two seem to be the only one who can get him to talk about what's bothering him. While I'd love to know what runs about in his head, but he doesn't tell me anything. I know he wants to protect me, but I wish he'd just forget about it. I'm thankful to have met you two, because Wizardmon's developed this light in his eyes that I haven't seen in a really long time."

"It's nice to see him again, that's for sure." Kari said. Rika nodded aimlessly, turning and walking to the closet. Kari stared after her. "Rika? Is there something wrong?"

"Not really. I was just thinking about what Yolei and Gatomon said about light and darkness, how you have the power to light up darkness." Rika said. "Gatomon even said you're darkness's worst enemy."

"So?" Kari shrugged.

Rika spun around, holding up her tag and Crest. "So, what does this mean?" She didn't look angry or sad, but rather very lost. "Kari I'm so confused. You and Yolei are opposites but your Digimon DNA Digivolve. What about us? The opposite of Light and Darkness does not attract, okay they repel one another. Am I destined to be your enemy? Because I don't want that. I want to be your friend. But how can I be your friend if we're so different from each other?"

"Rika, you're overthinking this." Kari approached Rika and pulled her into a hug. "You _are _my friend, and nothing's going to change that."

"Thank you Kari." Rika sighed. "But I'm really _not _overthinking this. I feel like I don't think about it enough. I'm so different from the other DigiDestined, but I don't want to be your enemy." She pulled away to stare into Kari's eyes. "I don't know what to do, Kari. I can't put Wizardmon at risk. It's not fair to him."

"Rika, I understand you feel lost and confused." Kari said. "But I just don't understand your problem. You need to tell me what you're thinking."

"I need you to tell me what to do, Kari." Rika said. "Tell me what my Crest means. Tell me why I was chosen."

Kari opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed. The girls stared at one another, as though just realizing how very similar yet very different they were.


	24. Swimming Lessons

**Swimming Lessons**

Rika sat up from Kari's bed, stretching and sighing happily as she rubbed her eyes. "Well I slept _wonderfully _last night." She jumped down to the floor and landed cat-like, bouncing over like a monkey and rapping her knuckles on the closet door. It opened slowly to reveal a groggy Wizardmon with bedhead hair (not that it was noticeable) and an equally sleepy Gatomon curled up beside him.

"What in the DigiWorld do you want?" Wizardmon snapped in an undertone.

"You never were a morning person." Rika smiled warmly. "Get up. We're going out today."

"No." Wizardmon lay back down and rolled over so his back faced Rika.

The raven-haired girl stared at Wizardmon over the rim of her glasses, then pushed her glasses back up and yanked Wizardmon's pillow from under his head. The wizard Digimon groaned, but stayed in his spot. "Get up, onīsan." Rika ordered, slapping her Digimon's head with the pillow. "I've decided we're going to have a family day."

"Fine….." Wizardmon's muffled voice came from under the pillow. "Wake me when Kari comes with breakfast."

"Why are you having a family day?" Gatomon asked.

"Not just us." Rika corrected. "All of us. Each and every DigiDestined we know will gather in the Digital World and go to a nice lake I know about. We need a day of rest instead of fighting and we need to do something fun as a family, because that's what we are: not just a group of kids and Digimon but a little family."

Gatomon smiled. "I'm in." She jumped onto Wizardmon and shook him. "Come on, Wizardmon! Get up! It's a new day and we're going to have fun!"

"That's right!" Rika nodded happily.

"What's right?" Kari asked as she came in, holding a tray of food for her friends.

"We're having a family day!" Gatomon called from the closet, still trying to get her friend out of his bed.

"I'm going shopping and making food today." Rika explained. "And then we're going to a nice lake in the DigiWorld and having a picnic. All the DigiDestined, including your brother Tai and his friends."

"What's the occasion?" Kari asked, handing Rika a bowl of rice and some toast.

"I just want to take a day and spend it with my new friends." Rika said. "If we want to label it, we'll call it, 'Thank you for taking me and Wizardmon in.'" Her smile grew. "I guess it's really so we can spend a day without worrying about our problems."

Kari smiled too. "I agree. Let's go."

"If Wizardmon can get up, that is." Gatomon laughed, still shaking her wizard friend. "Come on, Wizardmon! Upsy-daisy!"

Wizardmon groaned again. "No…."

"Do I have to use your head as my scratching post?" Gatomon held up her paws in a playful threat.

The Majin sighed. "Okay. I'm up…but I'm going to get you back for this."

* * *

"Oh wow!" Mimi's eyes sparkled as bright as the lake she stared at. "This lake is so beautiful! And the sand looks so inviting!"

Rika smiled warmly, happy the DigiDestined seemed to approve of the lake house she brought them to. It looked like a traditional Japanese house, colored brown and tan and complete with rice paper doors and tatami mat floors. The porch dropped off to a sandy beach and about forty feet away the small waves of the lake hit the shore. The clear waters sparkled like millions of diamonds and sapphires.

"We'll set up the picnic blanket here on the porch." Rika offered. "That way the food is a safe distance away from the water. Those rocks over there are really great to jump off and the trees offer divine shade. The water may be just a little cold but you enjoy yourselves."

"Are you sure we're not trespassing on someone's property?" Joe asked.

"Nah." Rika waved a hand dismissively. "This is a lake house that belongs to a Deramon friend of mine. He owed me and Wizardmon a favor so he's off visiting some friends while we spend the next two days and nights here."

"Sounds good to me!" Tai laughed. "Last one in is a rotten Digi-Egg!" He and several of the boys, human and Digimon alike, tossed their towels aside and stampeded into the water, splashing and laughing and diving. The kids all currently wore their swimsuits, but the girls could only stare after the boys with almost a bored gaze.

"Those guys are dorks." Sora sighed.

"But think about this: if we eat now before them we won't have to worry about them eating all the food." Mimi pointed out.

"Yeah I'm hungry!" Palmon cheered.

"Let's eat!" Biyomon chimed in. The girls laughed and sat down on the blanket to dig in.

"I think I'll go do some meditating." Wizardmon said, resting his staff against a nearby column. "Save me some sushi."

"You hungry?" Rika asked.

"Not really." Wizardmon turned and walked off, leaving the girls to stare after him.

"I hate it when he does that." Gatomon sighed, munching on a rice cracker.

"He'll be okay." Rika assured. _I hope._

"Thanks again for inviting us, Rika." Yolei said. "This is so relaxing."

"I figured we needed a break from so much excitement." Rika shrugged. "This is two days of doing whatever you guys want as long as it doesn't include our usual DigiDestined business." The girls laughed and thanked Rika again. Mimi started talking with the raven-haired girl about her outfit and the two of them began chatting about their shopping experiences in Tokyo and New York.

_She's acting so kind, even after looking so lost a couple days ago. _Kari thought, trying to focus on her food so she wouldn't stare at Rika. _I wonder if this is a way to distract herself, or maybe she wants to make sure we consider her our friend. I wish I knew how to make her feel more confident in us. She's such a good friend, even if her Crest might imply otherwise. _The brunette glanced over at Wizardmon, currently meditating on some rocks near the lake. _Wizardmon. I wish you wouldn't keep so many secrets. What could possibly be so strong that it's causing you to be afraid?_

Wizardmon murmured calming mantras under his breath, inhaling and exhaling evenly. But no matter how many soothing words he spoke his nerves wouldn't stop jumping around. He couldn't shake this feeling of unease. Maybe it was his recent experience with the Dark Ocean. He still couldn't believe Kari of all people was pulled into that terrible place. Myotismon's actions on Ken sent the boy there, but Kari always seemed like a sweet and kind girl. Did her Crest of Light mean the Darkness would always fight against her, threaten to consume her? What did that mean for Rika, the Crest of Darkness? The Majin stopped muttering his mantras, sighing heavily. _How much longer do I have to lie to my own little sister?_

"Armadillomon Ball!"

_SPLASH!_

Wizardmon sputtered a little as water cascaded down on him. At first, his heart raced as he flashed back to his drowning experience in Tokyo Harbor. Then he opened his eyes to see a sheepish Armadillomon and Cody staring up at him.

"Whoops." Armadillomon chuckled. "Sorry about that, Wizardmon."

"It's not a problem." Wizardmon said, shaking the water off his hat.

"You wanna come in, Wizardmon?" T.K. asked as he walked past.

The wizard Digimon shook his head, trying to not look fervent about it. "No, I'm all right."

"You sure?" T.K. turned and jumped off the rock, landing with another large splash that almost hit Wizardmon again. Patamon laughed as he did a few aerial loop-de-loops and landed in the water. T.K.'s blonde hair hung in his eyes as he rose to the surface. "Come on, Wizardmon. It's fun."

"Yeah, and it's pretty hot today." Cody added. "Aren't you heating up with all those layers?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Wizardmon said, struggling to keep his heart rate down and his eyes away from the water. "I, uh, recently ate some food and I hear it's better to wait an hour before swimming."

"It's really only about twenty minutes." T.K. said. "And that's actually been proven untrue."

"I still feel a little full." Wizardmon lied. "I think I'll wait a bit."

"If you insist." Cody said. "Don't overheat with that cape on." He, Armadillomon, T.K., and Patamon swam off to join the other boys playing water volleyball. Wizardmon stared after them almost longingly, but one look at the water and he began flashing back to his drowning incident again. _No way am I getting in that water. Not now, not ever. _Wizardmon decided. He stood up to return to the house, hopefully to find a better place to meditate, when he heard Veemon screaming for help and Davis's voice shouting, "I'm gonna get you for that, Veemon!" before a force slammed into him. There was a moment of vertigo and feeling of weightlessness and then Wizardmon's back hit the water.

Davis and Veemon began splashing each other, the blue dragon desperately trying to swim away from his trainer. "You said you liked practical jokes!" Veemon whimpered.

"Putting seaweed in my swim shorts is not a joke!" Davis snapped, swinging his arms wildly to grab his Digimon.

Meanwhile, Wizardmon began thrashing around in the water to try and keep his head at the surface. He opened his mouth to shout for help but he only received a mouthful of water. His head soon slipped beneath the waves, and the Majin's panic grew. _No! No please! Gatomon! Rika! Anybody! Help me! _His mind screamed what he wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth more water came in. He reached an arm up to break the surface, to alert someone of his presence, but he already sunk too far down to do it. _Rika….Gatomon…._ Blackness began to consume his vision and mind. _Gatomon…somebody…help me…._

Gatomon's ears twitched and she seized up a little. "Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Palmon asked.

"Don't tell me it's a Digimon coming at us." Mimi requested. "I just finished braiding Rika's hair all prettily!"

"I thought we said we'd forget about fighting for the next two days." Rika said, holding still while Mimi pinned a braid into place.

"It's not something that may attack us." Gatomon said, her eyes traveling all around her. She mentally listed everything she saw: the forest, the picnic blanket and food, the girl DigiDestined and their Digimon, Wizardmon's hat floating in the water, the boy DigiDestined and their Digimon, the sand, more trees—

Gatomon's head whipped back around to Wizardmon's hat, currently resting on the surface of the water but already beginning to sink. She bounded over, the girls close behind, and the cat Digimon scooped the hat out of the lake. She looked over to the rocks Wizardmon once meditated on only to find everything except her wizard friend.

"Hey!" Gatomon shouted, halting the boys' game and causing all eyes to turn to her. "Where's Wizardmon?"

"Isn't he meditating on the rocks over there?" T.K. asked, looking to the rocks but blinking in surprise to find them empty.

"He might be in the water." Veemon said.

"_What?!" _Rika and Gatomon shouted in terror, making everyone jump.

"Yeah, Veemon and I accidently ran into him while jumping off the rocks and we all fell in the water." Davis explained. "I thought he would come swimming with us."

Gatomon tossed Wizardmon's hat onto the sand and sprinted to the rocks on all fours. "Hey what's wrong?" Gabumon called.

"Wizardmon can't swim!" Rika shouted, running after Gatomon.

"_WHAT?!" _everyone shouted in shock, swimming/running over to the rocks where Wizardmon fell in.

Gatomon made it long before anyone else did, leaping off a few rocks and diving into the waters. Her eyes widened when she saw Wizardmon's body floating aimlessly in the water several feet down, no signs of voluntary movement. Gatomon swam down as fast as she could, shaking Wizardmon's shoulder to get him to wake up. When that didn't work, she grabbed his wrist in her paws and swam up towards the surface. But she yelped a bit and bubbles floated from her mouth to the surface when Wizardmon's hand stopped moving with her. The cat Digimon pulled as hard as she could, kicking her legs, but Wizardmon wouldn't move. Feeling her lungs crying out for air, she reluctantly let go and swam up. She gasped deeply when her head broke through to open air.

"Gatomon!" Kari called as everyone else finally arrived.

"Somebody please help!" Gatomon cried. "He's stuck on something! I can't pull him up!"

Matt, the fastest swimmer out of everyone there, swam ahead of the others and joined Gatomon as they dived below. Gatomon continued to try and rouse Wizardmon while Matt went deeper, discovering the wizard Digimon's foot stuck in some rocks. The blonde boy let out some air to dive down, grabbing Wizardmon's ankle and foot and gently wrenching him free. Matt swam up and hooked an arm around Wizardmon's chest and grabbing his shoulder. He held Wizardmon to his chest as he and Gatomon swam back up to the top. They broke the surface with deep gasps, coughing a little. Everyone else gathered around, voicing their concerns and staring worriedly at a very limp Wizardmon.

"Everyone back up!" Matt barked, swimming to the shore. "Give him room!" The DigiDestined parted as Matt dragged Wizardmon up to the sand, lying him on his back. Wizardmon stayed terrifyingly still, his eyes closed and his chest not rising and falling like it should.

"Stand back!" Kari ordered, kneeling beside Wizardmon.

"Kari, do you know CPR?" Joe asked, kneeling on the other side of the unconscious Digimon. "I'm not so good at it."

"I was hoping it wouldn't be necessary but he's not breathing and I can't hear his heartbeat." Kari gently but quickly pulled off Wizardmon's skull pin and cowl and set them aside, pushing up his vest and zipping down his jumper so she could reach his chest. She positioned her hands the way she learned and began the compressions, counting under her breath. Then she tiled his chin up and breathed twice into his mouth, trying to avoid the thread over his lips to get the air into his waterlogged lungs. Kari repeated the process, Joe checking Wizardmon's pulse during the breaths but his frown deepening every time he felt nothing. Everyone watched anxiously. Gatomon and Rika looked the most horrified, silently pleading for Wizardmon to give _some _indication of life. Kari started feeling the exhaustion, but continued with the compressions and breathing. "Come on, Wizardmon. Come on." She breathed into his mouth again, and this time Wizardmon's eyes scrunched up a little. He made a gurgling sound in his throat and started coughing. Kari and Joe gently rolled him over to his side and water poured from his mouth and into the sand. Wizardmon coughed up lake water for several seconds, his throat burning. When he finished he breathed heavily, still lying in the sand completely exhausted.

Joe checked Wizardmon's pulse again and sighed in relief. "Well done, Kari."

Kari sighed in tiredness and relief, grinning at the compliment. "Wizardmon? You okay?"

Wizardmon's eyes remained closed, but he nodded slowly.

"Let's get him inside." Joe said. "He needs rest for now." He helped Wizardmon rise and the Digimon leaned heavily on him as they walked into the lake house. Gatomon followed close behind, carrying Wizardmon's hat. The blonde Digimon glanced back towards the DigiDestined, focusing on Rika as she stared at the ground. _Oh great. _He thought as he, Joe, and Gatomon disappeared into the house. _Nice going, Wizardmon. Now she's going to be freaking out and feeling bad for bringing us here._

Nobody really felt like swimming after the incident, so they all gathered on the porch to finish their picnic lunch. Joe and Gatomon soon returned and joined them.

"He fell asleep." Joe reported. "He should be fine after a little nap."

Rika groaned a little. "I should've watched him more carefully. I saw him meditating on those rocks but I never thought he'd fall in."

"None of us saw it coming." Gabumon assured. "It probably would've happened even if you watched him."

"I'm really sorry, Rika." Davis said.

"Yeah, if we hadn't run into him like that it wouldn't have happened." Veemon added.

"But why did Wizardmon sit near the water if he couldn't swim?" Izzy asked.

"More importantly, why didn't he tell us he couldn't swim?" Tentomon asked.

"Remember what Kari once said?" Patamon piped up. "Sometimes it's really hard to admit when you have a weakness."

"It's not just that." Gatomon said in an almost grave voice, making everyone look to the cat. Her sapphire eyes stayed on her food, her heart heavy with the memory. "Four years ago, only minutes after I was united with Kari, Wizardmon and I went to Myotismon's lair to find her Crest of Light. Myotismon found us and we ended up fighting him. When he discovered _I _was the Eighth Digimon, he tried to destroy Wizardmon. He threw my only friend into the harbor, and because Wizardmon couldn't swim I thought he drowned."

"But he survived." Gomamon said. "Somehow he grabbed onto a log and could float to the surface. That's how Joe, T.K., Patamon, and I found him some time after I digivolved to Zudomon."

"I know." Gatomon nodded. "And I was so happy to see him alive when we fought at the TV station. But now that this happened, I start wondering…." She finally looked up with a sad look in her eyes. "How did he feel when he fell into the water? How long did he struggle to breathe when he kept taking in water instead of air? Was he scared? I know Wizardmon; he's one of the strongest Digimon out there. But I can see it in his eyes whenever we cross a bridge over some water or whenever we're near a body of water. He's so scared. I don't want him to be scared anymore."

"It may not seem like it, but this fear has the potential to be a huge disadvantage in battle." Izzy said. "What if you guys need to battle a Digimon in the water or something?"

"I think it's clear what we have to do, guys." Tai said.

"It is?" Rika asked.

"I know you said we were going to take a break, but I think we need to take this time to teach Wizardmon to swim." Tai explained. "Nobody should live in fear of something so simple, and taking care of this will prevent future instances like this from happening."

"Tai may have a point." Joe said. "As harsh as it sounds, the fact of matter is that if Wizardmon could swim then today's incident wouldn't have happened."

"What do you say, Rika?" Sora asked. "After all, Wizardmon's _your _Digimon and pretty much brother. Do you think it's a good idea?"

Rika stared at the ground for a long moment, then smiled. "I think it's a great idea. If a fear can be conquered why hesitate?"

"Then it's settled." Agumon said. "We'll spend tomorrow teaching Wizardmon to swim."

"Hey Izzy, can I borrow your laptop?" Rika asked. "I'm going to change and go to the Real World to grab something."

"Can do." Izzy nodded. Rika turned and jogged into the house.

"What do you think she'll get?" Cody asked.

"Who knows?" Kari shrugged. "This is Rika we're talking about. It could be any number of things."

* * *

Rika's brisk gait made her skip a bit, and she smiled in satisfaction as her shopping bag swung to and fro in her hand. _Now to find a computer and get back to the others. _She thought. _Izzy said I could use his computer if I crawled through his window to his room. Hopefully his parents didn't lock it or something. _Rika paused in her walking, blinking in surprise. She walked backwards and stopped outside a window to a ramen shop. Peering inside, she smiled at the sight of a familiar raven-haired boy sitting inside.

Ken slurped up the last of his noodles, chewed thoroughly, and swallowed. Then he lifted his bowl to his lips and drank the broth down. He sighed in content at the warm feeling spreading through his chest and stomach. He and Sam always liked coming to this ramen shop, usually without their parents since it was so close to their home. This evening he finally found it in his heart to go back to the shop, unable to do so before because he kept thinking about Sam. While the pain still stung in his heart, he felt a lot better when he started eating. _So many memories. It's strange, but coming back here and eating the same thing Sam and I used to eat actually helps me regain so many good memories._

"Hey Ken."

Ken turned and smiled warmly. "Oh. Hey Rika. What are you doing here?"

"Doing some shopping." Rika said, holding up her bag for emphasis. "Did you get my invitation to come to the lake house?"

Ken's smile shrunk a little. "I did. When did you get a D-terminal?"

"It's actually an old cell phone Izzy had that he reprogrammed with the D-terminal's capabilities." Rika explained. "Why don't you want to hang out with us? I thought maybe you and Wormmon would have a good time at the lake."

"It does sound fun." Ken nodded. "I just feel like I'm unwelcome there. I've done a lot of horrible stuff and I'm just not sure if everyone forgives me. There's too much darkness in me."

"You realize who you're talking to, right?" Rika asked, reaching into her shirt collar and pulling out her tag and Crest for Ken to see.

Ken cracked a smile. "Yeah. Any progress on finding out why you were chosen?"

"Nope." Rika shook her head. "Wizardmon gave me the Crest, but he can't tell me why I was chosen. It's just something I'll have to investigate on my own."

"How _is _Wizardmon?" Ken asked. "Doing okay?"

"Yeah." Rika sighed. "But earlier today he fell into the lake and almost drowned."

"He can't swim?" Ken asked in surprise.

"Not yet. But we're going to spend tomorrow teaching him." Rika checked the time on her D-terminal/phone. "I better get going; everyone's going to start wondering where I am if I don't get back soon. If you want, you should really come. It'd be nice if you came to hang out with us. The weather's really nice and the lake's awesome. Bring Wormmon too."

Ken stared at Rika for a moment before nodding. "I'll think about it." Rika seemed to accept that answer and smiled warmly. Ken rose from his spot. "Hey, why don't you come over to my house and use my computer to open a gate? My parents are out for the evening so you won't have to worrying about sneaking in."

"That'd be great. Thanks." Rika nodded as they exited the restaurant. Ken kept glancing at Rika, somehow just noticing her prettiness. Then Rika told him about her adventure getting Wizardmon out of bed that morning, and the two of them laughed. _I really _do _miss hanging out with Rika. _Ken thought as they continued walking. _And if Wizardmon's struggling with something I guess I should help. But would everyone else accept me? Like the older DigiDestined? Agumon probably isn't very happy with me, neither is his trainer. _He stared a little at Rika. _I wonder…could they ever truly accept me as one of their own? Sam, what would you do? Rika still cares about me; is that all I need?_

* * *

Wizardmon woke up the next morning to find his roommates nowhere in sight. The DigiDestined divided themselves up into the separate rooms last night, but the other beds showed no trace of human nor Digimon. Rubbing his still-tired eyes, Wizardmon put his hat on his head and grabbed his staff as he headed downstairs for breakfast. Gomamon and Patamon came out of their rooms and joined him, both yawning deeply.

"Good morning, Wizardmon." Patamon greeted sleepily. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." Wizardmon nodded.

"You feeling all right after yesterday?" Gomamon asked.

Wizardmon's grip tightened on his staff. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"We're sorry that happened to you." Gomamon said. "But we're going to make it right."

"What do you mean?" Wizardmon asked as they entered the dining room.

"Don't spoil the surprise!" Mimi giggled.

"Oh okay!" Patamon and Gomamon laughed as they took their seats at the table.

"All right, what's going on?" Wizardmon demanded as he sat down at the table.

"Guess we can't keep it from him." T.K. shrugged. "Better tell him, Rika."

Rika giggled. "Wizardmon, today we're going to teach you to swim!"

Wizardmon started drinking tea, but when he heard the announcement he did a perfect spit-take. "What?"

"We're going to teach you to swim so you don't have to be afraid anymore." Sora explained.

"And then you can save yourself if you fall in water." Yolei added.

"I don't think so." Wizardmon shook his head. "I am perfectly fine with staying away from water."

"Wizardmon, to swim is a valuable skill, for humans and Digimon alike." Hawkmon reasoned. "If you possessed the ability to swim yesterday Kari and Matt wouldn't have needed to save you."

"What if we end up fighting a battle on the water?" Armadillomon brought up Izzy's point from yesterday. "It won't help if you're so freaked out you can't even attack."

Wizardmon stared at the table. "I just don't know if I'll be able to. No Wizardmon in the past and to this day has ever learned to swim; every time one did they ended up drowning. It happened so often that every other Wizardmon just stopped trying."

"Then this'll be great!" Tai said.

"Yeah, just think about it." Gabumon said. "The first Wizardmon to ever learn to swim."

"And we'll be by your side the whole way." Gatomon promised.

Wizardmon still looked nervous, but when he glanced around the room he saw everyone smiling encouragingly. Realizing he most likely wouldn't win this argument, he sighed heavily. "Well, I can see I am outmatched and you're all most likely going to force me into this anyway. I suppose I could try it. But if I don't learn to swim by the end of the day I'm never touching water again."

"Okay then!" Rika stood up, walking over to Wizardmon with her shopping bag from yesterday in her hands. "We'll all change into our swim suits and go out to get started. The sooner we start, the sooner you're swimming. Since you don't have a swimsuit, I bought you these." Rika lifted a garment from the bag, revealing it to be a pair of boy's swim trunks, black with large teal stars all over them.

"I'm not wearing that." Wizardmon droned.

"Yes you are." Rika said, dropping the shorts into Wizardmon's lap. "You can't wear all those layers; once they get wet they'll get heavy and weigh you down. Until you learn to swim you need to dress light."

Wizardmon groaned. "Why do you torture me?"

Once they all finished breakfast and changed into their swimwear, the DigiDestined gathered outside and prepared for the lessons. The sun shone bright and warm, the waters a little cool but otherwise perfect. Rika did a head count and turned to see Wizardmon's silhouette against the rice paper doors. "Come on, Wizardmon!" Rika called. "You can't avoid this!"

"Do I have to wear these stupid shorts?" Wizardmon called.

"Yes, now come on!" Rika ordered with a laugh. Wizardmon groaned loudly and finally opened the door to walk out and join them. His new swim trunks actually looked good on him, but some of the kids and Digimon seemed surprised to discover that under Wizardmon's baggy jumper and long cape he had a slight lanky figure, looking almost skin and bones. His skin was flawless, and if it wasn't for the gray complexion and the thread over his mouth Wizardmon could be a regular preteen human boy.

"I feel stupid." Wizardmon grumbled, blowing his bangs from his eyes only to have them fall back again.

"I think you look cute!" Mimi gushed, only making Wizardmon groan again.

"You're really going to force me into this." The Majin sighed.

"It'll be okay, Wizardmon." Cody assured. "I used to be really scared of water until my friends literally pushed me into conquering my fears. Everything will work out."

"No worries." Tai said. "This is what we're going to do: each of us came up with a teaching strategy last night and we're all going to try them out. With all of our combined methods we should result in your learning to swim."

"Really?" Wizardmon raised an eyebrow. "_That's _your strategy? What if I drown again?"

"There will always be someone nearby to help you." Kari assured. "Whoever is teaching you will make sure you don't drown."

The Majin gulped a little, looking a little green. _I'm gonna die._

Tai and Agumon went first with everyone else sitting on the beach to watch. "Okay, so the root of your problem seems to be that you're a big scaredy-cat when it comes to swimming." Tai started.

"Gee, thanks." Wizardmon droned. "That makes me feel _so _much better."

Agumon elbowed his trainer's leg. "Not the best starter for a lesson."

"Well, the point is you just have to be brave." Tai said. "If you can be brave, you can conquer your fear of swimming."

"So what do you expect me to do?" Wizardmon asked.

"You just have to jump in and face your fear head on!" Tai said, he and Agumon running into the lake and jumping in.

"You're insane." Wizardmon called.

"Just come on!" Tai shouted.

"No way!" Wizardmon snapped.

Tai thought for a moment. "Hey, I know!" the older teen ran inside the lake house and emerged with some rope. He pulled Wizardmon over to the rocks and handed the Majin one end of the rope. "Just jump in and swim. If you believe you can swim then you'll do it. If that doesn't work, yank on the rope and I'll pull you up."

Wizardmon looked over the edge of the rocks to the deep waters below. "I'm _really _not sure about this."

"Just do it before I push you in!" Tai encouraged.

"That doesn't really help!" Kari chided her brother.

Wizardmon sighed, gulping audibly. He covered his eyes with one hand and stepped off the edge of the rock, slipping below the waters of the lake. Everyone waited anxiously, but suddenly the rope tightened and Tai pulled it hurriedly. Wizardmon's head broke through the surface and he gasped deeply, coughing a bit. Tai and Agumon pulled Wizardmon onto solid ground, and the Majin glared at them in irritation.

The rest of the DigiDestined took their turns, with one human and Digimon duo teaching Wizardmon and the others watching from their spots on the beach. Mimi and Palmon tried bringing Wizardmon out onto the waters with a boat so he would get used to being so far from shore. But Wizardmon's nervousness rose until he accidently shot a Thunder Ball and spooked Mimi so much the boat rocked and then overturned. Luckily, Palmon managed to climb on top of the boat and pulled Mimi and Wizardmon up with her. They returned to shore and T.K. and Patamon tried to at least get Wizardmon to wade out to the deeper water. But they soon abandoned the idea when Wizardmon started hyperventilating and showing early signs of a panic attack. Matt and Gabumon showed how to do a doggy paddle ("It's really popular in the Real World, especially with kids." Matt explained). But every time Wizardmon tried to put his chest in the water he complained that he couldn't breathe. Gabumon continued to encourage him, but then the Majin suddenly had a full-on panic attack and Gabumon needed to hurriedly drag him to shore.

Wizardmon caught sight of Rika, who hadn't spoken nor moved from her spot during the training sessions. She wouldn't look at her Digimon, which only made Wizardmon feel worse about the situation. _I have to be brave, strong. For Rika. She's not afraid of anything, not even the powers of darkness. How is it she can be so brave while I'm afraid of a little water? I need to keep trying. I can't let her down._

Izzy and Tentomon's lesson didn't involve very much time in the water. Rather, Izzy used his laptop to show the different muscle groups in a human (the closest thing to Wizardmon's theoretical muscle structure) and explain the mechanics of how each one moved when someone swam. He also thoroughly explained the movement of each stroke from the doggy paddle to the butterfly stroke. Wizardmon tried to pay attention, but when Izzy finished he looked so confused he almost fell over. He then told Izzy outright that he would never be able to remember all of that while in the water. Cody tried the same approach his friends used when he was afraid; he explained that they literally pushed him into a submarine so he was forced to go into the water. Wizardmon adamantly refused and threatened to fry Armadillomon with a Thunder Ball if he tried it. Yolei and Hawkmon tried a more direct approach; she Armor Digivolved Hawkmon to Halsemon, then she and Wizardmon rode the bird Digimon out to the middle of the lake. Then Yolei shouted, "Look out! Arukenimon!" Wizardmon jumped and prepared for battle, but before he could realize Yolei tricked him the girl shoved him off Halsemon and into the water. When they noticed Wizardmon not surfacing, Halsemon dived down to retrieve him. Wizardmon sputtered and spit water out, and when Yolei asked if he was okay he shouted, "I'm going to kill you!" along with a number of other unrepeatable words. At least, everyone assumed they were unrepeatable; he spoke them in a language nobody could understand. Joe and Gomamon decided on a simpler and calmer technique. Gomamon digivolved to Ikkakumon and Joe and Wizardmon climbed onto his head. He swam out smoothly to the lake, back and forth from the deep end to the shallower parts of the water. Wizardmon started relaxing a bit more, watching Ikkakumon's movements through the waters. But then he slipped off the water Digimon's head and needed to be saved again.

_This is _really _getting tedious. _Wizardmon thought as Ikkakumon carried them back to the shore. _How am I supposed to learn to swim like this? Either the DigiDestined can't teach or I simply can't learn. But I can't give up. Every time I fail it seems Rika gets more and more disappointed. She won't even look at me. What in the DigiWorld is so hard about swimming? Why can't I fight this fear? _He sighed heavily. _I'm more pathetic than I think._

Sora and Biyomon went next, only they taught him something a little different: how to float. Wizardmon seemed surprised, but followed Sora out to semi-deep water. He still wouldn't go past waist-deep water, but that's all Sora needed to demonstrate. She moved to her back and showed how to take deep breaths and hold them in, explaining how the air in her lungs increased buoyancy and kept her afloat. Wizardmon felt extremely nervous about taking his feet off the sand, but let Sora help him. Despite his fierce trembling and starting out hyperventilating, the Digimon soon managed to calm down and breathe evenly.

"Hey, it's actually working." Kari said. "We're finally making progress."

"Isn't that great, Rika?" Gatomon turned to the girl.

Rika looked up at Wizardmon and smiled softly. "Yeah. That's _really _great. He's doing well."

By the time Sora finished her lesson and Wizardmon could float with ease, the poor wizard Digimon looked exhausted. "Can we take a break before I dedigivolve and collapse?" he whined a little.

"It is a good time for lunch." Mimi said. "Let's eat!" Everyone else agreed and journeyed inside to make themselves food. Then they returned to the porch to eat in the sunlight.

Yolei watched Wizardmon eat, paying close attention to how he would take small bunches of rice in his chopsticks and purposefully stick the food into his mouth, right between two lines of thread. It seemed so natural, but Yolei still couldn't stop staring.

Wizardmon finally seemed to notice and turned to her. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Yolei said. "It's just, I've been wondering something. How is it your mouth is sewn up but not the rest of you? Ever since I first saw the thread over your mouth, I always imagined you as a Frankenstein-like Digimon."

"I've been wondering that too." Hawkmon said. "It's very unusual."

"I think we _all _wonder about it." Gatomon said, earning a few nods from the other DigiDestined.

"Nobody really knows for sure, not even me. Legend has it that the first Wizardmon ever created caused a lot of trouble with his words." Wizardmon explained. "It got so bad he even disrespected a divine Digimon called Xuanwumon. As punishment, he sewed the Wizardmon's mouth completely shut and cursed future Wizardmon with the same fate. Years later, another Wizardmon performed many arduous tasks so that future Wizardmon kinds would be forgiven and freed from the curse. Although the thread is now loose enough so to speak and eat properly, it will remain on our mouths to remind us of our mistakes."

"But it wasn't your fault." Cody argued. "It was that first Wizardmon."

"Even so, sometimes the mistakes we make affect more than just ourselves." Wizardmon said. "That was the lesson the first Wizardmon learned the hard way. There are people and Digimon that think only of themselves so often that they don't see how others react. Like when Ken was the Digimon Emperor. It is by learning of past mistakes do we gain better chances of learning for the future."

Everyone became silent, continuing to eat and mulling over the sage advice. _Sometimes I forget how wise Wizardmon can be. _Kari thought. _I have to remember that he trained for a long time to gain the magical knowledge he has now, and that probably took a lot of studying and traveling. _She smiled softly, and Wizardmon caught sight and returned the gesture. _I wonder…if I could ever be so wise._

Davis and Veemon offered to teach Wizardmon next. They led him to the rocks and Davis stood tall, his hands behind his back and looking ready for a lecture.

"Now, swimming is really simpler than you think." Davis said. "It takes guts to jump in and risk drowning, but that's why you swim: to save yourself from drowning."

_Somehow I don't think this will help. _Wizardmon thought. Davis continued to ramble on about swimming, covering everything from great swimming athletes to how lifeguards do their jobs and why. When Davis finished his very lengthy lecture, Wizardmon finally asked, "So what's your point?"

"My point is man up and get in the water!" Davis suddenly shoved Wizardmon and the Digimon started falling off the rocks. He waved his arms wildly but couldn't stop himself from falling backwards and head first into the water.

"That Davis." Yolei sighed.

"Right idea, wrong approach." Tai noted as Veemon jumped into the water to save the drowning Wizardmon.

Kari sighed. "Okay. Now it's mine and Gatomon's turn."

Wizardmon sputtered and coughed up water. He glared up at Davis, who shrunk down nervously. The Majin opened his mouth to shout at the human when Kari suddenly appeared, leading Wizardmon away from the brunette boy. "Okay, clearly that didn't work." Kari chuckled. "But don't worry. Gatomon and I will help you."

"Just forget it." Wizardmon whispered so no one else would hear. "I'm hopeless, Kari. Just hopeless."

"You did great with Sora." Kari corrected. "I think your problem is you're not used to water and once we sort that out it'll make things a lot easier." She took Wizardmon's hand in her own and started walking towards the water. "Just hold onto my hand and we'll just wade around in the water for a bit. Don't let go and I promise you'll be okay."

Wizardmon gulped a little, but nodded. Kari and Gatomon walked into the lake waters until it reached the human girl's waist. Wizardmon's grip tightened on her hand, but Kari just cast a reassuring smile and they continued to move through the water. Gatomon paddled beside them, smiling and giving words of encouragement. After a while, Kari felt Wizardmon's grip grow softer. _He's becoming more relaxed. That's good. _

"I'd like to try floating again." Wizardmon requested in a small voice.

_I'm still not used to such a timid tone. _Gatomon mentally sighed. _This isn't the same Wizardmon who helped me fight Myotismon. He's changed too much and I don't like it._

"Okay." Kari nodded. Wizardmon took a breath and laid back on the water, taking breaths like Sora taught him. He kept his eyes closed and focused on staying relaxed, murmuring a few more calming mantras. He didn't even notice Kari letting go of his hand. The brunette and her Digimon watched Wizardmon just in case he needed help. Wizardmon continued his breathing for several minutes before he decided to open his eyes. Above him, the skies didn't hold a single cloud and the afternoon sun cloaked him in warmth. He smiled softly, hardly feeling the water on him.

Then, a small black shape caught his sight, and his eyes squinted a little to better make it out. "Is that…BlackWarGreymon?"

"Hey Wizardmon! You're really getting far out there aren't you?"

Davis's outburst earned him a fist to the head from Yolei, but it already caused Wizardmon to jump a little and swing himself upright. His irises and pupils constricted in fear when he realized just how far he rested from the shoreline: a hundred feet at least. Suddenly, the waters became cold and Wizardmon's body went rigid. When his head slipped below the waters he began thrashing around trying to resurface.

"Wizardmon!" Gatomon cried, her and Kari swimming out to him. They did a good job staying near Wizardmon and Kari grabbed his arms before he could sink any farther down. She pulled him up and hugged him to her chest, letting him cough and sputter.

"Wizardmon, you okay?" Kari asked worriedly.

Gatomon took Wizardmon's hand, staring at him. "Wizardmon?"

The wizard Digimon, once he recovered from his shock and terror, suddenly became very angry. He shot up into the air, carrying Kari and Gatomon with him, and flew over to the beach. He dropped Kari and Gatomon on the sand and began stomping to the house.

"Wizardmon—" Biyomon moved to stop the Digimon.

"No!" Wizardmon suddenly shouted, whipping around and glaring at everyone. "I'm done! Okay, I'm done! The fact of the matter is I sink like a rock in water! Nothing can change that! So we're never going to bring this up again, got it?"

The air became deathly silent as the DigiDestined stared at Wizardmon. They never heard such a strong and angry tone from the usually calm Digimon. Wizardmon's jade green orbs glanced over to Rika, who still wouldn't look at him. His face still held the anger as he glared at the ground, but inside he berated himself. _Great. Now I've done it. I didn't mean to lose my temper, but I just can't do this anymore. I'll never learn to do such a simple task and there's nothing I can do about it._

"I'd like to disagree."

They all turned at the new voice and noticed two new figures standing some feet away from them. "Hey Ken!" Davis greeted enthusiastically. "Hiya Wormmon!"

"We decided to accept Rika's offer to come swimming!" Wormmon said. "It sounds fun!"

"And I heard a certain Digimon doesn't even know how to swim." Ken looked to Wizardmon.

The Majin looked down. "That's right. And I'll never know how."

"I doubt that." Ken said. "Wormmon, you and everyone else go have fun. I'm going to teach Wizardmon to swim."

"What makes you think you can do that?" Wizardmon demanded. "Are you supposed to be a miracle worker?"

"Just trust me." Ken said, shedding his sweatshirt so he only wore his black swim trunks. "Run along now, everyone. I'll take care of this." The DigiDestined exchanged looks, but dispersed to play in the waters. Ken gestured to a spot of shoreline and water a ways away from the rowdy kids and Digimon, and Wizardmon sighed as he joined Ken.

"You sure about this?" Wizardmon asked as they approached the water.

"Positive." Ken nodded. "I watched your lessons and everyone has the right idea but they're execution isn't too great."

"So what are _you _going to have me do?" Wizardmon demanded.

Ken smiled. "Just do as I say. Stand beside me and we'll walk into the water. Don't ask questions; just do as I say." Wizardmon sighed, but did as Ken asked and they started wading into the waters. The Majin paused briefly as the waves lapped around his ankles, and for a moment he feared as though some creature would drag him under. But Ken gave another reassuring smile, so Wizardmon took a breath and followed the boy. The two of them stopped when the water hit their chests. Ken instructed Wizardmon to just walk back and forth in the water, sometimes going into shallower water and sometimes venturing into deeper water that hit their chins. After a few minutes of the wandering, they stopped with the water level at their chests.

"What was the point of this?" Wizardmon asked.

"It's how my brother Sam taught me to swim. Tell me, Wizardmon, during this entire exercise and including right this moment, can you breathe?" Ken asked.

Wizardmon blinked. "Well, yes. I can breathe just fine."

"And why is that?"

"Because my head is above water of course."

"Exactly. Because you're able to stand up. You can put your feet on solid ground, or I guess semi-solid sandy ground, and it keeps your head above the waves. That's going to help a lot."

"But how?"

"Here's the thing: not all fears can be conquered in a single day. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes it does. Most of the time, you need to tackle your fears little by little, step by step, until they're nonexistent. In your case, you won't be able to lose your fear of swimming in a single day. You need to practice over the course of a couple days to build up your confidence. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think so."

"For now, you just have to keep in mind that as long as you can touch the ground and it keeps your head above water, you can save yourself from drowning. Plus, this water is still plenty deep enough for you to practice different swimming strokes. When you get tired or feel uncomfortable, just stop swimming and stand up. Come on, try it."

Wizardmon seemed nervous again, but Ken already swam a few feet away from him. "Are you sure?"

"Just swim over to me." Ken said. "And if you need a break you just stand up."

Wizardmon nodded slowly and took a breath, lifting his feet off the sandy floor. His head halfway slipped below the waters, but he started moving his limbs the way Ikkakumon did and his head stayed up. Before he knew it, he began moving across the waters. But he only made it halfway to Ken before he stopped and swung his legs down to touch the ground. He put his full weight on his legs and his head stayed above water, much to his relief.

"I can't do it." Wizardmon said. "I just can't."

"Nonsense." Ken said, swimming over. "You're doing great!" Wizardmon still looked unsure. "Okay, I want you to try one more thing." Ken swam over to be beside the Digimon. "I want you to sit down."

"Here?" Wizardmon pointed the spot he stood in.

"Yes." Ken nodded. "I know, you think I'm crazy. But trust me; just take a breath in, hold it, and drop. When you feel like you need air, stand up again."

Wizardmon wanted to protest, but Ken already slipped down under the water. When he still didn't dive down, Ken suddenly grabbed his hand and yanked him down. Wizardmon barely had time to take in air as his head disappeared beneath the waves. His muscles tensed and refused to move, his eyes squeezed shut. Something tapped him on the shoulder and he allowed one eyelid to raise. Ken's smiling face greeted him and gestured to the open water before them. Wizardmon gathered what bravery he had left (while also fighting the bile in his throat) and opened both eyes to look. The clearness of the waters revealed the natural beauty consisting of pale sand, schools of tiny fish, turtles here and there, and even some fish-type Digimon. Wizardmon started feeling his muscles relax, but when he accidently let out some of the air in his lungs his mind forced him to remember drowning in Tokyo Harbor. Beginning to panic, he pushed up with his legs and stood up straight, his head bursting through the surface. Ken rose up with him, gasping deeply like he did but looking much calmer.

"Sorry." Wizardmon panted a little. "Too many bad memories. I thought I was drowning again." _Why can't I forget that? It's really amazing, the power of a traumatizing event. How am I supposed to learn to swim if that memory keeps coming back?_

"No, it's okay. You did great." Ken assured. He noticed Wizardmon's still-glum face, his eyes hidden by his bangs. "Wizardmon, why do you want to learn to swim? It can't just be to lose your fear."

The blonde Digimon sighed. "It's Rika. At first, I didn't want to do this. But then I noticed Rika wouldn't look at me. She had this look on her face. Like she was disappointed in me for not learning this. I envy Rika; she has the strength to fight any number of obstacles without fail. I can't even learn what T.K. calls a 'doggy paddle'. What kind of DigiDestined Digimon am I if I can't do something so simple?" He still wouldn't raise his head, but Ken heard the faint _plip _of tears falling into the water. "I've failed my partner."

"No you haven't." Ken said. "Rika isn't disappointed with you; she probably just didn't want to watch you get hurt like that. She hates seeing you in pain."

"You're just saying that." Wizardmon said.

"No, I'm not." Ken insisted. "She disappeared last night and probably didn't tell anyone where she was going, right?" Wizardmon nodded, surprised Ken knew that. "Well, she ran into to me and we talked for a while. She said she was still a little worried about what it meant to be a DigiDestined of Darkness. But most of all, she said she was really concerned for you. She probably doesn't want me to tell you this, but I think you need to know. I don't think you realize this, but you're all Rika has left in the world."

"What do you mean?" Wizardmon asked. "She seems pretty happy to have the other DigiDestined as friends, especially you."

"But think back to before that." Ken said. "Rika told me what happened to her family and your travels in the Digital World. You have to understand, Wizardmon, that when you escaped to the Digital World and made the decision that you and Rika would live there permanently it left an impact. Rika didn't have any other home; no parents or grandparents; no house to return to for suppertime; not even a change of clothes. She only had you. You, her loyal Digimon partner and loving older brother, took it upon yourself to care for her and give her the best life you could give. As a result, she clung to you like a lifeline. Right now, it doesn't matter that Rika's trying to connect with us and making a new family out of the DigiDestined. She only cares about you. If she loses you, then she will lose her last connection to her family. It'll be the only thing that could break her spirit."

Wizardmon stared at Ken for a moment before his gaze turned to Rika playing volleyball with the other kids. "I guess I never thought about it before. Rika always seemed so strong and independent."

"You never did see it, did you? She really relies on you more than anyone. She loves you." Ken turned and waded back to the shoreline. "You know what else you never noticed? You've been standing in that chest-high water for about ten minutes now."

* * *

Ken politely refused to stay the night at the house, returning home with Wormmon soon after dinner. As night fell and everyone realized how exhausted they felt, the humans and Digimon began drifting off to their rooms, one by one, until they all rested in their beds for a good night's sleep. But T.K. found he couldn't sleep too well; he soon started thinking he shouldn't have eaten that extra piece of cake after dinner. He rolled over, thinking if he didn't face the moonlight he'd sleep better. But his eyes widened a little when he noticed Wizardmon not in his bed. T.K. sat up and noticed the Digimon's clothes in a pile on the floor. Confused, the blonde boy rose from his bed and journeyed down the hall and through the house, searching for Wizardmon. But he had a pretty good guess where he disappeared to, and when T.K. checked he found Wizardmon standing by the shores of the lake, just as expected. He wore his black swim trunks Rika got him, but he looked frozen in the spot. T.K. walked over and cleared his throat.

Wizardmon jumped, looking very much startled by T.K.'s sudden appearance. He sighed, putting a hand to his chest. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry." T.K. chuckled. "I noticed you out of bed and came to check on you. Taking a little midnight dip?"

Wizardmon didn't answer for a moment. "I'm going to swim across this lake. Alone. Then in the morning I can do it again in front of everyone."

"But what if you get tired and start drowning?" T.K. said. "It's not a good idea."

"I have to do this." Wizardmon said firmly.

"What are you trying to prove?" T.K. asked, more out of curiosity than anger.

"I don't know." Wizardmon admitted. "That I can do it? That I'm not as worthless as I think I am? I just have to practice once so I can do it tomorrow."

T.K. could tell he wouldn't be able to sway Wizardmon's decision. "Okay. But can you wait so I can change into my swimsuit and I'll come with you? I would feel better if I could be there in case you need me."

Wizardmon nodded, and T.K. disappeared into the house. He returned in his own swimwear and stood beside Wizardmon, waiting for the Digimon's first move. Wizardmon took a breath and began wading out into the lake. Though the water felt much colder now that night fell, his stubbornness forced him to keep going. The two of them reached waters that splashed their necks and Wizardmon pushed off to swim. But suddenly he went under and no amount of limb movement could help him rise. T.K. grabbed his arm and hoisted the Digimon to the surface.

"You sure you want to do this?" T.K. asked.

"Positive." Wizardmon said firmly.

T.K. nodded in understanding and grabbed a log floating nearby. "Well until you get to be a stronger swimmer, you can hold onto this."

"Isn't that taking the easy way out?" Wizardmon muttered.

"No, it's making sure you don't drown so you can swim." T.K. corrected. "Everyone does it."

Wizardmon sighed, but grabbed the log and contented himself with just kicking to push him along. T.K. swam beside him, watching in case Wizardmon had another panic attack. The wizard Digimon kept his eyes closed, holding onto the log like his life depended on it. T.K. could hear him murmuring something in a language he couldn't recognize.

"What are those strange words you always seem to be speaking? It looks like they calm you down." T.K. noted.

"They're calming mantras I learned." Wizardmon said. "They help me clear my mind and relax my spirit."

"They help you focus." T.K. guessed, earning a nod from the wizard. "Then that's it. Whenever you feel like you're panicking when you're swimming just repeat a calming mantra in your head. It'll help you focus your mind and you can think better in a crisis situation."

"You think it'll work?" Wizardmon asked. "I'm not so good at remembering my mantras when I'm panicking."

"It's worth a shot." T.K. shrugged.

Wizardmon nodded, finally opening his eyes and stopping. "We need to rest for a while, if that's okay."

"Whatever you need to do." T.K. nodded, treading water. "You're actually doing great; we're about halfway to the other side."

Wizardmon nodded aimlessly, resting his head on the log.

* * *

_He didn't know how long he floated on that log in the harbor; he kept going in and out of consciousness and it took all of his limited strength to hold onto the floating wood. Then he noticed a looming shadow in the fog, this one bulkier than the MegaSeadramon that guarded the bridge. Then, he realized it was Zudomon, the Digimon who digivolved from the Ikkakumon from before. He belonged to one of the DigiDestined. _The DigiDestined….they can help me find Gatomon! That is, if they don't destroy me first. Then again, it's either that or drown here.

"_Take me…to Gatomon….please!" Suddenly, a wave swept over his head and he went under. The waters seemed to get choppier and rougher, probably from the freaky weather Myotismon caused. But he soon surfaced again and found Zudomon stopped several feet in front of him. Two humans and a Patamon rested in one of his paws. They stared at him, the smaller boy looking worried and the taller one more suspicious. But at the moment, they were his only hope of saving Gatomon. "I'm Wizardmon….must find Gatomon…..important….."_

"_Not so fast there!" the taller boy snapped. "Aren't you one of Myotismon's henchmen?"_

"_He looks beat up pretty bad." The smaller boy said in concern._

"_Got to give…..Gatomon…this…." Wizardmon held up the Crest of Light in his hand for the boys to see, hoping it would convince them of his goodness but feeling his strength diminishing._

"_Look, he's got somebody's Crest!" the smaller boy pointed out._

"_Yes….it belongs to…the Eighth Child….." Wizardmon groaned as he fell back into unconsciousness._

* * *

"T.K.?" Wizardmon piped up. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"You mean when Joe and I found you in the harbor?" T.K. clarified. "Yeah. I remember. You were floating on a log just like this."

"Why did you help me?" Wizardmon asked.

"What do you mean?" T.K.'s head tilted to one side in confusion.

"You know what I mean." Wizardmon said. "Joe knew I was one of Myotismon's henchmen yet you still chose to trust me. Was it because I had Kari's Crest?"

"Well, I think that certainly swayed Joe to help." T.K. admitted. "I mean, we were really getting down to the wire at the time, searching for the Eighth Child. But even if you didn't have the Crest, I would've convinced Joe to help you."

"Why? When you knew that I could've just as easily betrayed you." Wizardmon asked.

"I'm really not sure." T.K. said. "It was a feeling I got when you talked and how you looked. You seemed sincere enough. Something in my gut told me you could be trusted, and I always trust my gut. Besides, you were hurt and needed help. I wasn't about to let you die when there was an opportunity to save you. If you turned out to be evil, Joe and I would've taken the Crest and left you on the sidewalk to fend for yourself. But we didn't; because you showed sincere kindness through your actions." He smiled at Wizardmon. "I'll never regret what I decided that day for a minute."

Wizardmon stared off into space, but then turned his head to lock his jade green eyes with T.K.'s dark blue ones. The Digimon smiled softly. "Thank you T.K. I am very thankful to have a friend like you."

T.K.'s smile grew. "Hey, since we're already halfway across the lake, you wanna turn around and go back now? Then at least you can say you swam the length of the lake on your own."

Wizardmon sighed tiredly. "Let's do that. I'm exhausted."

T.K. laughed as they turned around and started their trek back to the house. The blonde boy kept smiling the entire way, glancing at Wizardmon now and then. The Digimon seemed a lot more relaxed in the water, no longer holding fear in his eyes.

* * *

"_It belongs to…the Eighth Child…" the Digimon, Wizardmon, groaned painfully as his head fell limp on the log, unconscious._

"_The Eighth Child!" Joe and T.K. gasped. Suddenly, Wizardmon began slipping down into the water, sliding off the log._

"_Quick Zudomon!" Joe yelped. "Grab him!"_

_Patamon flapped his wings as fast as he could and grabbed Wizardmon's wrist, desperately trying to keep him above water. Zudomon moved his paw forward used his claws to scoop the Digimon up without dropping the DigiDestined in the water. Patamon returned to T.K. and Wizardmon hit Zudomon's palm, coughing and spitting up some water. Apart from that, he lay very limply._

"_You guys better ride up on my shell." Zudomon suggested. "You'll be safer there and then I can get to Odaiba faster."_

"_Okay Zudomon." Joe nodded. "Just be careful."_

_Zudomon brought his paw around to one of the metal knobs on his shell. Joe hooked his hands under Wizardmon's arms and pulled him up onto Zudomon's shell, T.K. and Patamon close behind. Zudomon continued to swim while Joe leaned Wizardmon against the metal knob._

"_You think he's going to be okay?" T.K. asked._

"_Maybe." Joe said. He, T.K., and Patamon sat back and stared at the Digimon. "But just by looking I can tell he's hurt really badly. He may not make it."_

"_We can't just let him die." T.K. protested._

"_T.K., he might be evil." Joe said. "We can leave him somewhere safe in the city, but I just don't know if it's a good idea to keep him with us. I think we should just take the Crest and we'll take him to dry land." Joe moved forward and lifted Wizardmon's gloved hand to take the Crest. But Wizardmon's fingers suddenly curled and his grip tightened around the precious pendant. Joe jumped back to T.K. and the two of them stared at the apparently still-living wizard Digimon. But after that brief bout of strength, the wounded Digimon fell still again and his fingers around the Crest relaxed. Before any of them could do anything else, the Crest of Light began to glow brightly._

"_What's it doing?" T.K. breathed. He stared at the Crest for a moment before a motion caught his eye, and he looked up to Wizardmon's face. Through the glow of the Crest and resting under straw-colored bangs, a pair of jade green eyes stared back at him. T.K. scooted a little closer to the Digimon, despite Joe and Patamon warning him to be careful. The young boy stared at Wizardmon for a moment, noticing how his eyes held strength but also a little fear._

_Finally, T.K. smiled. "Hey there. Are you okay?" The Digimon didn't move nor respond. "Okay. Um, blink once for yes and twice for no. Your name's Wizardmon, right?"_

_Blink._

"_Are you hurt?"_

_Blink._

"_You were attacked, weren't you?"_

_Blink._

"_We're the DigiDestined, and we know you work for Myotismon. But I once met a couple of his goons, Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon, who turned out to be really nice. Are you our enemy?"_

_Blink, blink._

_T.K.'s smile grew. "Don't worry, Wizardmon. You're gonna be okay. I promise."_

_The fear left Wizardmon's eyes, and he gave a soft sigh as he fell back into a comatose state._

* * *

A cold, almost slimy feeling on his foot jolted T.K. from his memory. "Uh, Wizardmon? Tell me that was your foot that touched me."

Wizardmon gulped, having also felt the slimy feeling on his foot. "Unfortunately, no."

Suddenly, something lifted the boy and the Digimon out of the water and threw them into the air. They shouted in surprise as they flew high up into the sky and then fell right back into the water. T.K. grabbed Wizardmon and brought them up to the surface. They gasped as their attacker made itself known: as a monstrous MegaSeadramon.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" T.K. groaned. "What's that guy doing here?"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's a Control Spire Digimon." Wizardmon said.

"Oh even better." T.K. droned.

MegaSeadramon roared and slapped his tail down, coming inches from T.K. and Wizardmon. _"Thunder Ball!" _Wizardmon threw the attack, but when it collided with MegaSeadramon it only seemed to make him angrier.

"Well that didn't help." Wizardmon gulped a little. "Without my staff I'll have to rely on my magic. I don't suppose you have a plan?"

"I got a plan." T.K. assured.

"What's that?" Wizardmon asked.

"_Help us! Somebody help us!" _T.K. shouted at the top of his lungs.

"That's not a plan!" Wizardmon snapped. MegaSeadramon roared again and dived underwater, surfacing and carrying the two of them into the air on his head.

"You got a better one?" T.K. shouted in terror as he and Wizardmon held on tight.

"No, not really!" Wizardmon shouted back. They both began shouting and screaming for help while MegaSeadramon tossed his head around, trying to knock them off.

Matt bolted upright in his bed. "What the heck?" He ran to the window and saw MegaSeadramon and heard the shouting. Then he looked to the empty beds in the room and he gasped. "T.K.! Wizardmon!"

T.K. and Wizardmon held tight to MegaSeadramon's green mane, even when the evil Control Spire Digimon dived down into the lake. He did that multiple times, unable to reach around to grab them and not quite smart enough to realize he could use his tail. The boy and Digimon kept their tight grips, still screaming terrifyingly when they didn't go underwater. Wizardmon no longer sent attacks, too freaked out from forcibly going underwater so many times.

Then, a force collided with MegaSeadramon and prevented him from diving again. T.K. opened his eyes and he smiled. "Ikkakumon!"

"Don't worry! The cavalry's here!" Ikkakumon said, still wrestling with MegaSeadramon. Coming up behind the white-furred Digimon, a horde of DigiDestined Digimon charged into battle to help their friends. Sora, Kari, and Tai rode their respective Digimon, and Matt joining them riding atop Greymon.

"T.K.!" Angemon shouted, shooting down towards the sea serpent Digimon. MegaSeadramon launched lighting from the spike on his forehead, hitting Angemon and causing him to crash into Aquilamon. The two of them fell into the lake.

"Okay guys, give him what you got!" Kari called from Nefertimon. "But don't hit T.K. and Wizardmon!"

"Get them out first and then we can take care of this giant sea slug!" Submarimon ordered.

Unfortunately, they soon discovered this was easier said than done. MegaSeadramon thrashed around and threw attacks wildly, not necessarily aiming for the other Digimon. He slapped them with his tail and bit into them. While the DigiDestined Digimon managed to throw a couple attacks, they either missed or hesitated because one of their friends became caught in the line of fire. It soon became apparent that they're current plan wouldn't work, but none of them could really think of a new plan when MegaSeadramon kept shooting towards them.

Suddenly, MegaSeadramon gave and extra hard jerk of the head, slamming into Kabuterimon and knocking T.K. loose. Wizardmon instinctively grabbed the boy's wrist in one hand while keeping a tight grip on the sea Digimon's mane with the other.

"Angemon!" Wizardmon shouted. "Catch!" He threw T.K. with all his strength, away from MegaSeadramon and giving Angemon the chance to swoop in and grab the boy. Wizardmon pulled himself up onto MegaSeadramon's armored head, but then slipped and began sliding down the metal. He managed to grab the edge of the eyehole and stopped his fall. MegaSeadramon growled, reaching his tongue around as though to pull the wizard into his mouth. Wizardmon planted his fist into MegaSeadramon's eye, causing the sea dragon to screech in pain and throw his head up. Wizardmon flew up into the air, finally a safe distance from MegaSeadramon.

"Nefertimon! Go!" Garurumon ordered.

"Kari, grab him!" Nefertimon called, shooting up towards Wizardmon. Kari nodded and reached an arm out, Wizardmon doing the same to take it.

But their fingertips barely touched as MegaSeadramon's tail shot up, wrapped around Wizardmon, and pulled him below the lake waters.

"Wizardmon!" Kari and Nefertimon screamed.

"We must find them!" Birdramon said urgently.

"But where'd he go?" ExVeemon asked. "They've both disappeared!"

"I'm going after them!" Ikkakumon announced, diving into the waters.

Deeper down, MegaSeadramon carried Wizardmon farther and farther into the depths of the lake. Wizardmon struggled fiercely, fighting to break free from the serpent's tail. Water tried to force its way into his mouth, but he kept his lips together. _I can't die here! I can't die like this! I need air. I don't want to drown. _Wizardmon wanted to take calming breaths, but there was no air to take in. _Okay, okay Wizardmon calm down. Remember what T.K. said. Remember your mantras. Say them in your head. _He could feel his lungs beginning to complain from lack of air. But he kept repeating his mantras in his head, over and over again, until he stopped struggling. MegaSeadramon's tail seemed to tighten around him. _MegaSeadramon…what do I know about them? Well, they're a direct Digivolution from Seadramon…Seadramon like to constrict their prey until they suffocate, but let's not think about that. _Then, something clicked in Wizardmon's head. _But Seadramon always go to the surface to feed! And if this MegaSeadramon is anything like his real Digimon counterparts, maybe this crazy plan will work._

Ikkakumon and Submarimon shouted in surprise as they flew from the water and through the air. They dedigivolved to Gomamon and Armadillomon and landed with a _SPLASH _in the shallows near the house. "It's no use!" Gomamon called. "He's too strong!"

Then, MegaSeadramon rose from the waters, bringing his tail up and laughing evilly. Everyone stared in horror at the sight of MegaSeadramon holding a limp Wizardmon by his ankle. The Majin didn't move, looking very much dead.

"Wizardmon!" Rika screamed.

MegaSeadramon launched another round of lighting attacks from his horn, hitting his opponents and forcing them all to fall into the lake. The Digimon dedigivolved, now completely powerless against the sea serpent Digimon. They watched, horrified, as MegaSeadramon threw Wizardmon into the air and opened his jaws to swallow the Majin whole.

"No!" Gatomon screamed.

When Wizardmon's limp body reached the peak of his ascension, his eyes snapped open and he turned to face MegaSeadramon as he fell. The magic-wielding Digimon gathered his energy, and a Thunder Ball appeared in each palm. He brought the energy spheres together and they began to grow in power and size.

"_Mega Thunder Ball!" _Wizardmon spun and threw the massive storm attack down towards MegaSeadramon. By the time the sea serpent realized what happened, he was already destroyed in a massive blast. Wizardmon continued down to the water, disappearing beneath the waves. Only this time, he didn't have a panic attack like before. He kept his eyes closed upon entry and remained like that for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he still remained calm. But he couldn't tell if it was because of his diminished energy from that last attack or because he didn't feel scared for some reason. Gatomon appeared in his line of sight and he smiled warmly. The two of them returned to the surface, coming eye-to-eye with the others.

"Wizardmon!" Sora beamed. "You're swimming!"

"Or at least treading water." Tai corrected. "That's a start."

"Well why don't we return to the house before we all catch a cold?" Wizardmon suggested casually.

"You don't seem very afraid anymore." Kari noted.

"Believe me, I won't be too keen about jumping into lakes or pools for a while." Wizardmon assured. "But I can count today as a personal victory. I'm not as scared as before."

T.K. smiled and ruffled Wizardmon's already disheveled hair. "Now _that's _the Wizardmon we know. Never giving up."

Wizardmon smiled warmly. "Thank you. All of you. You're true friends. But I have to say, most of you are the worst teachers I've ever met." That last comment caused them all to laugh as they began swimming back to the shoreline.

Rika ran up as Wizardmon stepped onto the sand, trapping him in a tight hug. "You scared me to death! Don't you ever do that to me again, do you hear me? Oh what am I saying? Of course you're going to do that again. Why do I tell you not to when I know you're going to do it anyway? It's an endless cycle and I don't know why—" She blinked in surprise as Wizardmon put a hand over her mouth.

"Imōto-chan." Wizardmon chuckled. "Do me a favor and shut up."

Rika's eye twitched a little, but she suddenly hugged him again. "Is this how you feel when I scare you like that?"

"Yep." Wizardmon nodded. "But it's okay. We'll say we're even."

* * *

"Come on, guys!" Tai laughed, him and the other boys stampeding into the waters.

"Just because school was canceled today doesn't mean we shouldn't be home before dinner!" Kari called after them. "You still need to pack your bag!"

"Don't worry about it!" Tai waved it off.

"You coming, Wizardmon?" T.K. asked, pausing and turning to the Majin.

Wizardmon looked out as some of the boys began another volleyball game and he smiled. "I think I will, yes."

"Seriously, Wizardmon?" Rika raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like I have a bag to pack." Wizardmon shrugged, running inside and coming back out in his swim trunks. He and T.K. quickly joined in the game, splashing and laughing.

"Well he's certainly one of the boys now." Yolei laughed.

"I think it's great!" Mimi said happily. "Wizardmon's lucky; he already looks like a human so he doesn't have to pretend to be a doll. That must be really nice."

"Yeah, I bet Rika never put a bonnet on him and forced him into a baby carriage." Palmon laughed.

Rika smiled warmly, staring at Wizardmon. "It's nice to see such a brighter side of him. He actually looks really happy."

"It's because of you." Sora said. "Wizardmon looks to you like his little sister. Apart from you, I don't think he has any other family."

"Well, for a while neither of us did." Rika said. "It was just me and Wizardmon. But now that we've met you guys, I think we're both learning to be more open. I just hope nothing happens to change that. I don't want to come into conflict with anyone."

"Fights and arguments can't always be avoided." Kari said wisely. "Sometimes you're going to have a disagreement with someone else and it may drive rifts in the team. But you just have to remember that in the end, we're always there for each other."

Rika nodded in understanding. "Absolutely." She looked to Wizardmon again. _I'll always be there for you Wizardmon. Just like how you are always there for me._


	25. If I Only had a Heart

**Episode 32: If I Only had a Heart**

"Wizardmon, do you sense his aura?" Rika asked, leaping from rock to rock and journeying through the desert area with her Digimon. Her small backpack slapped against her back a few times, but she ignored it for now.

"Oh yes, because it's not like he's leaving a trail of destruction and warps of energy wherever he goes." Wizardmon said sarcastically, flying above his human partner.

"Okay, okay." Rika sighed, jumping and flipping to land on another rock. She hardly hesitated as she continued on. "You can be sarcastic later. Even if he is leaving a trail we've been following him for three days and he still hasn't shown up."

Wizardmon blinked. "Speak of the Devimon, he's close!"

"Really?" Rika asked. "Where?"

"Still about half a mile ahead." Wizardmon assured. "But he's finally slowing down a bit."

"Getting tired?" Rika guessed.

"Not by a long shot." Wizardmon said. "If anything, he's just getting restless. He's really determined to find a worthy opponent."

"And the only worthy one will be the one that can give him a good fight." Rika said. "Maybe if we beat him, he'll calm down."

"The only way I'll beat him in battle is if I can digivolve to Mega." Wizardmon said. "I'm still off by one level as Baalmon and even Dynasmon won't work against him."

"We'll worry about your Mega Level another time." Rika determined. "Right now, we have to reach BlackWarGreymon."

"We're almost there." Wizardmon said. "It seems he stopped." In a few minutes, they reached a group of rocks several hundred feet away from where BlackWarGreymon stood. Rika ducked behind a rock and peered out, noticing the herd of Mammothmon standing in the dark Digimon's path; Arukenimon and Mummymon stood up on a high rock behind the elephant Digimon.

"Okay Wizardmon." Rika pulled off her backpack and took out Tai's small telescope and two walkie-talkies. "You go invisible and take one of the walkie-talkies. Then fly over there and see what BlackWarGreymon does. Observe him but keep out of the way of his attacks. See what he does and relay what you find to me. I'll be watching from here."

"Got it." Wizardmon nodded. "Just stay down and out of sight. I know he didn't hurt you when he had the chance before, but that doesn't mean he'll make the same decision now."

"I understand. Now go." Rika said. Wizardmon disappeared, and Rika positioned herself to watch BlackWarGreymon through the telescope. _He had the chance to destroy me when Arukenimon first created him. But all he did was stare at me. I can't get those eyes out of my head. There's something deeper in those eyes. Something that calls out to me. Now I've made the decision to respond, and only time will tell if it was a good idea._

"Do you know how many Control Spires it took to create these Mammothmon?" Mummymon shouted at BlackWarGreymon. He turned to Arukenimon. "How many was it?"

"Two hundred." Arukenimon replied, rubbing a strand of her hair.

"Two hundred!" Mummymon repeated.

BlackWarGreymon hardly cared, his gaze emotionless as it locked on the Mammothmon. "I wonder how powerful they are. Let's find out."

_He's got to be crazy, taking on all those Mammothmon. _Wizardmon thought. _Even a Mega like him can't take them all down._

"What do you think you're doing?" Mummymon demanded. The Mammothmon herd suddenly stampeded, charging right for BlackWarGreymon. The dark Digimon hardly blinked, not moving an inch.

_I know he's technically evil but I feel like I should help him. _Wizardmon thought. _Then again, surely he must have a plan in mind._

"Over here, boys." BlackWarGreymon taunted. The Mammothmon continued their charging, Wizardmon, Mummymon, and Arukenimon watching closely. The giant elephant Digimon finally reached BlackWarGreymon and the Mega Digimon disappeared in a flurry of dust, fur, and trumpet sounds. Wizardmon clearly heard the sound of blades slicing, and the Mammothmon suddenly stopped. Their dust trail settled and revealed a still-standing BlackWarGreymon, looking as though a gentle breeze passed by him.

"I don't believe it!" Mummymon gasped.

"That's impossible!" Arukenimon gasped. "They didn't even make a dent!"

"Not a scratch on him!" Mummymon breathed. Much to their shock and a little horror, a column of four Mammothmon lost their fur and outer shell to reveal their Control Spire cores before disintegrating to nothingness.

"_Did I just see what I just saw?" _Rika's voice came over the radio.

"If you just saw four giant Mammothmon destroyed, then yes." Wizardmon said. "BlackWarGreymon's more powerful than we give him credit for."

"Next?" BlackWarGreymon goaded, turning to his opponents. One of the Mammothmon charged for him, but with a quick swipe of claws destroyed the Control Spire elephant in seconds.

"_This is insane." _Rika breathed. _"He's hardly tired at all!"_

"I'm going to try reading his mind." Wizardmon reported. "Keep your eyes on him." He floated a little closer to the battle, watching BlackWarGreymon fight while also focusing his energy to connect with the dark Digimon's mind.

BlackWarGreymon continued his effortless onslaught on the Mammothmon, destroying them with a slice of his claws or a hard stomp with his foot. _I defeat my opponents so easily. _He thought as he destroyed Mammothmon after Mammothmon. _It's not enough. I still feel an emptiness inside. No matter what I do, nothing seems to fill this void._

"_Emptiness"? A "void"? _Wizardmon thought. _No simple-minded Control Spire Digimon would feel this way. Then again, BlackWarGreymon isn't just a simple Control Spire Digimon._

"_Why do I feel so empty?!" _BlackWarGreymon suddenly shouted to the sky.

Rika gasped softly. "Empty? So BlackWarGreymon has emotions? He can feel things? But those attributes would apply more to a real Digimon instead of a Control Spire Digimon." She stared at BlackWarGreymon. "I wonder…."

"Rika," Wizardmon whispered into his walkie-talkie. "Take a listen to this." He pressed the 'talk' button on his radio and held it up as Arukenimon shouted down to BlackWarGreymon.

"You can't be feeling empty because you _have _no feelings." Arukenimon laughed. "It's just your imagination. I created you from Control Spires. So you're nothing more than my little puppet."

"Oh, I love a good puppet show!" Mummymon said gleefully.

"Silence!" Arukenimon snapped before turning her attention back to BlackWarGreymon. "I wonder why you're experiencing this, these imaginary feelings of yours. It's quite possible that when the Control Spires you were made from fused together, the leftover programs that weren't being used caused this reaction."

"Leftover programs?" BlackWarGreymon repeated, sounding both confused and outraged, even insulted. "How simple it would all be if I were just another one of your Control Spire Digimon. But I'm not." He spun around, creating a small tornado that destroyed more Mammothmon and almost swept away Wizardmon. "I am not a simple creation from one Control Spire. I'm complex, made up of many Spires. _That's _why I suffer! Or is it still my imagination?"

"There is an easy way to end your suffering." Mummymon called.

"How do you propose I do that?" BlackWarGreymon snapped.

"Just simply forget about all this feeling nonsense and follow orders!" Mummymon commanded. "Like you're supposed to do!"

"I will not take orders from those inferior to myself." BlackWarGreymon declared in a low, menacing tone.

Mummymon growled. "Why I oughtta—"

"Stop it!" Arukenimon ordered. "I won't take his feeble bait. Just to prove I'm superior. Go ahead and feel if you want. You're of no more use to me."

"Yeah!" Mummymon called as they disappeared. "Feel to your imaginary heart's discontent!"

"I'm not imagining my turmoil." BlackWarGreymon affirmed, turning to the oncoming Mammothmon. "If what they say is true, then my enemies don't suffer when I destroy them. Tell me something, Mammothmon, are you imagining me?"

"You get all that, Rika?" Wizardmon asked as he watched the battle.

"_Every word. And I officially despise Arukenimon." _Rika said.

"Rika, I need to tell you something." Wizardmon said, his eyes locked on BlackWarGreymon's battle. "I wasn't sure at the time I found out, so I kept it to myself. But now I think you should know: I think BlackWarGreymon's more like a real Digimon than a Control Spire Digimon."

"_What do you mean?" _Rika asked.

"Well when we started tracking him you asked me to follow his aura." Wizardmon explained. "I found something I didn't expect; something within BlackWarGreymon."

"_A Life Flame?"_

"More like the tiny spark of one. It's hard to tell if it's there or not, or even if it's real, but all I know is that BlackWarGreymon is far more advanced than even he knows. Maybe combining so many Control Spires actually gave him true life."

BlackWarGreymon glared at the Mammothmon charging for him, blindly following their creator's orders. "Why? Why won't you answer me?" The Mammothmon that fell screamed as they were destroyed. The Mega Digimon turned as more came at him. But the emptiness remained within him. "You poor, simple-minded creatures." He felt a twinge in his chest, but he couldn't identify the emotion. "How I envy you."

"Call me crazy, but you might have the right idea with trying to befriend this guy." Wizardmon said.

"_When are my ideas never good?" _Rika asked.

"I'm not going to gratify that with a response." Wizardmon sighed. He jumped when yet another Mammothmon disintegrated with a scream. Now, only a single Mammothmon remained.

"How about you? Do you feel any pain?" BlackWarGreymon asked the lone Mammothmon, who reared up with a mighty trumpet and began charging towards his foe. BlackWarGreymon seemed almost bored as he waited for the Mammothmon to come and meet his fate. Then, his eyes traveled downward to a patch of grass in the otherwise rocky ground. A small spot of lavender stood out. "What's this?" He murmured. "A tiny flower?" He continued to stare at the flower, not paying much attention to the charging Mammothmon. "It's right in Mammothmon's path…" For some reason, the tiny lavender flower compelled him to pay attention to it, and he found he couldn't tear his eyes away until he realized Mammothmon was about to smash it under his foot. _"No!" _

Wizardmon gasped when BlackWarGreymon suddenly dived forward, crouching over a small patch of grass. Mammothmon's feet pounded on the Mega Digimon's back, over and over again, but BlackWarGreymon didn't move.

"_Has he lost his mind?" _Rika's voice called from over the radio. _"What the heck is he doing?"_

Wizardmon didn't answer, turning the volume down on the radio until it became mute. He floated quietly over to BlackWarGreymon until he stood only a few feet away. He couldn't really see what BlackWarGreymon guarded so carefully, but it seemed important. He watched, a bit mesmerized, as BlackWarGreymon finally stood up and pushed the Mammothmon off him.

"_Terra Destroyer!" _BlackWarGreymon created a huge sphere of energy and threw it at Mammothmon, obliterating the elephant. "The flower!" He gasped, searching the ground fervently.

_A flower? _Wizardmon looked down at the patch of grass to see a small, lavender flower. _That's what he was so willing to give his life to protect?_

BlackWarGreymon sighed in relief. "Safe." His eyes narrowed in confusion. "But why did I care?"

_That's what I'd like to know as well. _Wizardmon stayed close to BlackWarGreymon, keeping quiet. _Perhaps Rika _does _have the right idea about you._

"What difference does it make if there's one more tiny flower in the world or not?" BlackWarGreymon asked himself. He groaned a little in thought and some frustration, kneeling down to stare at the tiny flower. At the moment, with all these strange feelings in him, the plant seemed to be his best company. Someone he could talk to about his problems. But for a long moment, he didn't speak at all. "You and I are very different. I mean, besides the obvious. You're a little flower and I'm the most powerful Digimon on two worlds. I-I mean, you are alive and I am just artificial. You have real feelings and I can only imagine it." BlackWarGreymon started getting angry again. "Like I imagine this pain in my heart! Why should I care whether a tiny flower lives or dies?" He smashed his foot onto the flower and crushed it into the dirt, his anger and frustration growing. "Who cares? All I want to know is…where is this empty feeling inside of me coming from? If I'm not a true, living creature, why does my heart ache? When the truth….is my heart doesn't even exist."

Wizardmon stared at BlackWarGreymon, contemplating. _I've never seen anything like it. I always think about BlackWarGreymon as this monstrous, evil Digimon. But now he just looks like a lost little kid. Perhaps with the proper guidance he can be helped. _Wizardmon willed himself to become visible again, and he tucked the walkie-talkie into a pocket before calmly walking up to BlackWarGreymon.

The Control Spire Digimon looked up and prepared to fight, glaring at Wizardmon. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Just to talk." Wizardmon said simply. "You look a little lost."

"You don't know anything." BlackWarGreymon snapped. "Who are you?"

"My name is Wizardmon." The Majin tipped his hat in greeting. "I'm the partner to one of the DigiDestined. You know, those kids Arukenimon wants you to destroy."

"Ah yes." BlackWarGreymon nodded. "I remember. But I do not remember seeing you with them."

"That, my friend, is a long story." Wizardmon chuckled.

"'Friend'?" BlackWarGreymon repeated. "I do not understand. You come to me without fear, treat me like I am not the one who attacked those children."

"Well, I am a little upset about that." Wizardmon nodded. "But even though you attacked and defeated them, you refused to kill them. My trainer, the black-haired girl, approached you to fight and you spared her life. Why?"

BlackWarGreymon thought back to that moment, remembering the girl with glasses, raven hair, and a witch's hat, wielding a sword and ready to fight him. "I don't know. I looked into her eyes, and I suppose that's when I hesitated. Something didn't feel right when I thought about attacking her."

Wizardmon nodded in understanding. "Something in your heart told you not to attack. You felt something, maybe for the girl."

BlackWarGreymon's eyes hardened. "That's not possible. I don't have a heart."

"All living creatures have a heart, and have goodness inside them." Wizardmon corrected. "A very good friend taught me that."

"But I'm not a living creature." BlackWarGreymon protested. "I have no heart and therefore I cannot feel."

"I don't think so." Wizardmon shook his head. "You see, I'm a Majin-type Digimon, and I've learned how to sense what's called a Life Flame. They're only found in living creatures such as Digimon."

"So what's your point?" BlackWarGreymon demanded. "That I need a Life Flame to become a real Digimon?"

"That's just it; I think you already have one." Wizardmon explained. "I don't know how or why, but when I look within you I can sense a spark, the smallest spark of a Life Flame. I think it means you've become so complex that you're developing life. You're not like other Control Spire Digimon; you have free will, and the ability to think for yourself."

"But that doesn't mean I have a heart." BlackWarGreymon growled. "This is getting me nowhere. I must find my destiny and unless you can tell me what it is I have nothing more to say. You're a real Digimon, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." Wizardmon nodded. "I was born from a Digi-Egg, grew up, and digivolved to who you see now."

"Then how could you possibly understand the suffering I go through?" BlackWarGreymon demanded.

"I can't imagine the suffering specifically because I never wondered whether or not I had a heart." Wizardmon replied. "I always knew I had one. But I can imagine the pain it causes you because clearly you are not happy. You're suffering, similarly to how I used to before I met my human partner."

"So…do I need a human partner to end my suffering?" BlackWarGreymon growled again, standing up straight. "You do not offer any enlightenment. I must journey on."

Wizardmon watched BlackWarGreymon step past him. "BlackWarGreymon, I can help you. My partner can help you. If you'll just listen to us."

"Be thankful I spare your life now. Do not test my patience." BlackWarGreymon ordered.

"You call that patience?" Wizardmon scoffed. Then he sighed. "May I make a suggestion? Go that way."

BlackWarGreymon followed the Majin's point. "Why?"

"Trust me, you'll find someone who can help." Wizardmon said. "And remember that my partner and I can help if you wish."

BlackWarGreymon didn't speak. But he seemed to accept Wizardmon's advice and went in the direction he pointed. Wizardmon watched the Control Spire Digimon leave, a part of him wondering if he did the right thing. When BlackWarGreymon disappeared over the horizon, Wizardmon still didn't know what to think. _Perhaps Agumon can help him. After all, he can Digivolve to WarGreymon, so he's like the positive counterpart to BlackWarGreymon. I only hope I didn't do something wrong._

* * *

"He was protecting a _flower_?" Rika repeated. "Why? I mean, I love protecting nature as much as the next guy, but this just seems too freaky."

Wizardmon sighed. He took another drink of the tea from the thermos Rika carried in her bag. She also carried another thermos of soup the two of them shared. Wizardmon looked to the sky. "It's just so strange. I know he's still a little evil, so I want to be wary of him. But there's something telling me that I need to look closer."

"That's your heart, silly." Rika smiled. "It's the same thing BlackWarGreymon searches for now. I think he'd be a nice friend if he could find his heart."

"Why do you think that?" Wizardmon asked. "What do you see in him?"

"What do I see in him?" Rika repeated with a laugh. "It's not like I want him to be my boyfriend."

"Rika." Wizardmon intoned, giving her a look.

Rika laid on her back and stared at the sky. "I don't know. I guess there's something about him that intrigues me. Under that darkness and armor, I see something good. I see a friend." Her smile shrunk down to nothing, so she stared in contemplation. "I think about it more and more, and I keep wondering if maybe I connect with him because of our individual darkness. I'm the DigiDestined of Darkness. He was created to be evil, and let's face it, he is a little evil. But there's good in him like there's good in me. I feel like I can trust him."

"Tell that to the rest of the DigiDestined." Wizardmon said. "You can't forget, they're not going to just drop everything and trust him. Unless he can prove his goodness and show he wants to be a friend, the DigiDestined are going to attack him if he comes near us." _And so will I._

"You don't know that." Rika said.

"I know at least one person who would: T.K." Wizardmon said. "You may not notice it, but he has his own darkness he has to deal with."

"I noticed." Rika assured. "It's not that bad. Just some negative emotions he has to deal with. Grudges held for far too long. I don't like it."

"Oh?" Wizardmon looked to Rika quizzically.

Rika turned her head to look at Wizardmon. "Even I'm wise enough to know that pride is blinding. Letting your emotions control you leads to all sorts of trouble." Her gaze returned skyward. "It's happened to me before. If T.K. doesn't get a grip he's going to really regret it."

Wizardmon stared at the girl for a while. _I remember Rika's emotions getting the better of her; it used to happen a lot when she was younger. She has a valid point: if T.K. doesn't get a handle on his emotions, he may end up making a terrible mistake. Yet I can't help but think about what Rika said, how T.K. would regret it if he didn't control himself. I feel like Rika would be the one who will dish out the punishment, and the very thought terrifies me. Rika strikes fast and hard, without warning. _He took the thermos of soup and took a swig of the warm liquid, swishing it around in his mouth before swallowing. _Please don't do anything rash, Rika. T.K. isn't the only one that needs to keep control of his emotions._

"Hey Rika! Wizardmon!"

Rika and Wizardmon looked up to see Ken and Wormmon running up to them. They stood as their friends approached. "Hey Ken. Hi Wormmon. What's up?" Rika greeted.

"Apparently the others found Arukenimon." Ken reported. "We're going over there to meet up and help fight. What are you two doing out here?"

"Just taking care of a few things." Rika said simply. "Running an errand or two."

Wizardmon cast a look at his partner. _You know, with all the complaining she does about me keeping secrets, it's hard to believe she doesn't realize how often _she _keeps secrets as well._

"Well you two want to join us?" Wormmon offered. "Let's show that nasty woman what for!"

"Dibs on Bandage Brain." Rika punched her palm.

"Then let's get going." Ken urged as Rika packed her things. "We'll save the Digivolution for when we get closer to preserve the Digimon's energy."

"Sounds good." Rika nodded, and the four of them took off running. "Did anyone mention anything else?"

"Well, Kari did say something about a Knightmon beating on a rock." Ken said.

"Um, okay…." Rika said slowly. "That's…strange….."

"She said Nefertimon called the rock a Destiny Stone." Ken added.

Wizardmon skidded to a halt, causing everyone else to do the same. "Did you say the Destiny Stone?"

"Yeah, why?" Ken asked.

"Ken, why didn't you tell us before?" Wormmon asked worriedly. "The Destiny Stone is an important part of the Digital World. Rumor has it something _really _bad will happen if they are destroyed!"

"'They'?" Rika repeated. "You mean there's more than one?"

"Each and every single one important." Wizardmon said. "We have to get to the others _now_."

"Why didn't this come up during our training? Never mind, we'll worry about it later. Wormmon, you save your energy." Rika ordered. "You need your strength to DNA Digivolve. Wizardmon, time for Dynasmon."

"Just what I was thinking." Wizardmon nodded.

"_Digi-Armor Energize!"_

"_Wizardmon Armor Digivolve to….Dynasmon, the Angel of Darkness!"_

"Hop on everyone!" Dynasmon called, kneeling down so the two children and the green Digimon could climb on his back. "And hang on tight!" He flapped his wings and shot up into the skies, in the direction Ken pointed out.

* * *

Agumon put his paws on his chest, thinking carefully. "Hmm…maybe right here….." He put his claws to his head. "Then again….oh, I'm not sure. I'm sorry I'm not more help to you, but no one's ever asked me before where my heart is."

_That Wizardmon….was he really serious when he said I'd find someone who would help? _BlackWarGreymon thought. _All I found was this Agumon character, and I'm not sure what to make of him. _"Strange. You claim to be alive, yet you don't know where your heart is. Maybe it doesn't really exist. Maybe the heart is just an illusion."

"It's _not _an illusion." Agumon said firmly. "When you really care about someone, more than you care about yourself, it's called love." _Like how I love Tai and Kari and all my friends._ "And I know it comes from the heart. I just don't know where it is!"

"Interesting." BlackWarGreymon mused. "Then let me ask you this: _why _do you have a heart?"

"I don't know why." Agumon said. "I just do, that's all. Humans have them, and so do Digimon."

"But I'm a different kind of Digimon." BlackWarGreymon corrected. "Made from Control Spires. Does that mean I have a heart too? Or was I created without one?"

Agumon scratched his head. "Hmm…..these are all very good questions that I'd love to answer for you. But I'm not very good at this kind of stuff. Could you repeat the question?"

"I'm not sure I remember what I asked anymore." BlackWarGreymon admitted. _This Digimon's simplicity and confusing logic is making me lose my edge. I feel even more lost than I was before._

"Hmm….." Agumon kept his contemplating stare before brightening up. "Then we're both confused. Let's forget the whole thing and grab a bite!"

BlackWarGreymon resisted the urge to groan. "I'm sorry. I need more answers."

"If you insist." Agumon nodded.

"Do you know what the heart is for?" BlackWarGreymon asked, kneeling down to be at Agumon's eye level. "Why do Digimon and humans need it? Why is it so important?"

"Well, that's easy." Agumon said. "The heart is needed to live."

"But you see, I'm not alive." BlackWarGreymon protested. "I'm just…a _thing_. Why would I have any possible use for a heart in the first place?"

"Good point." Agumon nodded. "Hey! You can be a friend!"

_Friend. That's the same word Wizardmon used to me. _"A friend?" BlackWarGreymon repeated, the word sounding very foreign in his mouth.

"Yeah!" Agumon said happily. "You see, if you care about me then we're friends! And if we're friends you have a heart! You can't have one without the other. Look at me; I've got lots of friends!"

"What if I'm not capable of being a friend?" BlackWarGreymon asked. "That _would _prove once and for all if I have a heart or not."

"Of course you're capable!" Agumon insisted. "Everybody's capable of being someone's friend."

"But what if—"

"'What if'. Always with the 'what if's. What if my aunt had a mustache? She'd be my uncle!"

"She would? Your logic confuses me. How is friendship supposed to feel, or does it just happen? At any rate it certainly hasn't made me feel any better."

"That's 'cause we just met. Give it time."

BlackWarGreymon's tone turned angry. "Time? I've given you time to answer all of my questions, and you haven't answered one yet. I should just destroy you and move on. It seems to be my purpose in life. And if that's so, then so be it. I will dedicate myself to being the most powerful." But as he stared at his dagger-like claws, he couldn't help but think back to that tiny flower, the flower he willingly saved without a second thought. He growled in frustration. Mammothmon pounding on his back still hurt even with his armor, yet he endured it for the life of another, even if that life belonged to a tiny flower. "But I have to know if that is my true destiny. Or if there's something more for me in this world than just fighting. You know, like a reason why I'm here. For some it's money, others power, and for you perhaps friendship. But I have to know the reason why I was created."

"Snap out of it!" Agumon urged, overwhelmed by such a feeling he got from listening to BlackWarGreymon talk. "Boy are you a serious guy!"

* * *

At the Destiny Stone, the DigiDestined soon realized Knightmon wasn't alone; Arukenimon and Mummymon ambushed them and the fight tilted out of the kids' favor. Mummymon sent his Snake Bandage attack that wrapped around ExVeemon, pinning his arms and wings to his body and constricting the dragon's throat. Arukenimon did the same with Aquilamon and her strong spider webs. When Gatomon ran to help Arukenimon shot more webs that wrapped around the cat's throat. Knightmon pinned down Pegasusmon with one foot and stabbed relentlessly at Ankylomon with his sword. If Ankylomon didn't have his hard shell, his head would've been chopped off long ago. The kids stood off to one side, watching in horror as their Digimon were beaten ruthlessly. Kari struggled to pull the webs off her partner's throat. Davis shouted encouragingly, but nothing seemed to help.

And, as usual, in times of crisis a hero arrives. Or in this case, four heroes.

"Having a party without me?" Stingmon scoffed. _"Spiking Strike!" _The insect Digimon easily sliced through Mummymon's bandages, freeing ExVeemon.

Arukenimon jumped when a silver blade sliced through her webs, freeing Gatomon and Aquilamon. Rika landed between her friends and the spider woman, holding her sword threateningly. When Arukenimon moved to attack, Dynasmon appeared out of nowhere and kicked her aside.

"Nice timing, Rika!" Kari called.

"Welcome to the party, Dynasmon." Gatomon chimed in.

"Way to go!" Davis cheered.

"It's Ken!" Yolei sighed in relief.

"Sorry I'm late everyone!" Ken called as he ran up.

"We're down to the last of our nine lives!" Gatomon ran to Aquilamon. "Let's do this!"

"_ExVeemon…..Stingmon…DNA Digivolve to….Paildramon!"_

"_Aquilamon…..Gatomon…..DNA Digivolve to…..Silphymon!"_

"Now that's more like it." Rika smiled.

"_Desperado Blaster!" _The blasts bounced off Knightmon's armor, but he still stumbled back and gave Ankylomon the chance to jump on him and pound him into the ground.

"Payback time!" Ankylomon growled. "It's not so much fun when you're on the bottom, huh?" Knightmon suddenly kicked a foot up and sent Ankylomon tumbling into Pegasusmon. Knightmon charged in with his sword, but Dynasmon knocked the blade aside and stole Knightmon's second sword.

"My turn." Dynasmon growled, pushing Knightmon away. While the other Digimon dealt with Arukenimon and Mummymon, Dynasmon engaged in a fierce battle of blades with the Knightmon. Knightmon swung his heavy weapon a little wildly, but Dynasmon still had Baalmon's advantage of speed, grace, and skill. Not to mention Knightmon's own blade that could easily counter the one he currently used. Knightmon seemed to get angrier and angrier with every miss, but Dynasmon used this to his advantage. His gun blasts didn't leave a dent, but he still possessed skills Rika taught him. _Think about how to get him off-balance. _Dynasmon thought, ducking to avoid the broadsword again. _You know, without breaking my shin on that armor of his. _Something clicked in Dynasmon's head, and he jumped up into the air and aimed a strong kick to the knight Digimon's collarbone. Knightmon stumbled backwards, severely off-balance, while Dynasmon hovered in the air.

"Paildramon! Silphymon!" Dynasmon ordered. "Go!"

"_Desperado Blaster!"_

"_Static Force!"_

The two blasts bounced right off Knightmon as he charged for them. He swung his large sword around, but the three Digimon leaped away just in time. Unfortunately, Knightmon continued his swing and stabbed right through the golden ring on the Destiny Stone.

"He's breaking the Destiny Stone!" Mummymon gasped in delight. Everyone stared in shock as the Destiny Stone began pulsing with a red glow that made most of them nervous. _I _definitely _don't feel regenerated from darkness. All I feel is _a lot _of power radiating from that rock. _Rika thought fearfully. _These Destiny Stones, whatever they are, must hold a lot of power and importance to the Digital World._

"What happened?" Davis asked worriedly.

"There's something wrong with the Destiny Stone!" Paildramon realized. Then the DigiDestined seemed to realize Knightmon still attacked the stone, and now Arukenimon and Mummymon joined in the onslaught. Rika rushed in with her sword, swinging it around to Knightmon's neck. But the armored Control Spire Digimon swung his blade around and Rika was forced to use her own as a shield to block the attack. The force from the blow sent her tumbling to the ground and Knightmon continued his slicing on the stone.

Arukenimon growled in frustration at the lack of destruction. "His attacks just aren't doing a thing! Mummymon! We need to come up with a new plan of action!"

"Really?" Mummymon asked sarcastically, still blasting the rock. "Uselessly pounding away on this rock isn't a good plan?"

Arukenimon started to snap at him, but she turned at what sounded like a gunshot and saw a dark cloud coming their way. "It's BlackWarGreymon!"

Rika sat up from where she fell and looked towards the cloud. _BlackWarGreymon? What's he doing now?_

Suddenly, Arukenimon and Mummymon took off as fast as their legs could carry them. "They sure seem to be in a hurry." Yolei noted.

"How come?" Davis asked.

"They must realize it's useless to fight us!" Yolei grinned confidently.

Ken finally noticed the black cloud and gasped. "Tell him!"

Everyone except Knightmon turned as BlackWarGreymon shot from the dark cloud and flew straight towards them. Knightmon finally seemed to notice when the dark Digimon snarled like an animal, and the knight Digimon turned to face BlackWarGreymon. But the black Digimon just smashed into Knightmon and forced the Control Spire to dissolve to nothing.

The DigiDestined gasped in shock and awe. "Oh no!" Davis cried.

"Do you think he's on our side?" Yolei asked hopefully.

BlackWarGreymon approached the damaged Destiny Stone, staring at it for a long, tense moment. _"Terra Destroyer!" _The dark Digimon created a large sphere of energy and smashed it against the Destiny Stone, cracking it even further.

"The Destiny stone!" Aquilamon's voice shouted from Silphymon.

"He'll destroy it!" Paildramon gasped.

"Not while we're here!" Dynasmon assured as the Digimon ran towards BlackWarGreymon. But the dark Digimon turned to them and threw another Terra Destroyer, not strong enough to destroy the Digimon but plenty enough to make them dedigivolve to their In-Training or Rookie forms.

"He crushed them!" Davis gasped.

"We're just no match for him." Ken breathed.

Yolei ran towards her fallen Digimon, but she looked up as BlackWarGreymon turned to the Destiny Stone once more. "Don't do it, BlackWarGreymon!"

"Please stop!" Rika, a faster sprinter than the others, hurried to BlackWarGreymon and took his claws in her hands. "You don't know what you're doing!"

BlackWarGreymon stared at each girl in turn, as though considering his options. But ultimately, he decided to not heed the girls' words; he raised his claws up and threw another Terra Destroyer, creating a crater in the Destiny Stone. Rika flinched and covered her face, but jumped between BlackWarGreymon and the Destiny Stone.

"Rika! Get out of there!" T.K. shouted.

"You have to stop! Listen to us!" Rika ordered of BlackWarGreymon.

"Get out of my way, girl." BlackWarGreymon ordered. When she didn't, he picked her up and tossed her aside before throwing one last large Terra Destroyer blast that made the Destiny Stone shatter like glass. The shockwave and blast itself looked terrifying, but what really scared the DigiDestined was the large tornado of wind, sand, and rocks that stretched all the way to the clouds above. The winds blew hard and fast, almost pushing the kids to the ground.

"We're gonna get sucked in!" Ken cried.

"Run everyone!" T.K. called. "Before it's too late!"

"Grab a Digimon and let's go!" Rika scooped up Impmon while the others grabbed their respective Digimon and hightailed it away from the tornado. Rika looked back just once before joining them. But when she looked back, she stared at BlackWarGreymon, and the dark Digimon stayed on her mind.

_Yet again, he had the chance to destroy me but didn't. Why? He could've just destroyed me with the Destiny Stone and be done with it. Instead, he chooses to push me aside, I guess push me to safety, before carrying out his destruction. What does he see in me? Why does he speak to me like I'm a nuisance yet takes the time to ensure my safety? What does this mean? Am I right? Is there really more to BlackWarGreymon than we know? Could he be our friend?_

_Could he be _my _friend?_


End file.
